Roku Naruto
by Anthurak The Chaos Lord
Summary: AU. Naruto: Fool? Loudmoth? Not anymore. The night he learned Kage Bunshin, Naruto was changed. Witness the rise of a Naruto never seen before. MELON! Naruto/Hinata. No crossover. UBER OOCness Not a super-Naruto fic.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter I**

**Birth of a Legend, or a Retard**

--

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he looked over the report handed to him by the Hokage. It contained the information on the three genin he was going to test, and most likely fail.

"So…explain why you're giving me a genin team again considering what happened to the last 32?" he asked the old man in front of him.

Sarutobi chuckled.

"Well, I thought this time might be a bit…different. After all, two of those genin are extremely special. You should know that"

Kakashi nodded. The last Uchiha and the village junchrikki, who also happened to be his sensei's son, though you could count the number of people who knew the latter on one hand.

Kakashi sighed.

'_I guess I do owe sensei and Obito. But if even so, if they don't understand what it means to be a shinobi, then they don't deserve to be one, no matter who they are'_

"Alright, I guess I don't have a choice. Though Naruto might be an interesting character. Mastering Kage Bunshin in a single night is quite an accomplishment"

"Yes. It is impressive. Though that isn't the main reason why you should keep an eye on him" Sarutobi said.

"Huh?"

"After that incident, he's…changed. Mentally anyway. He still looks the same and sounds the same, but, it's like his personality has changed almost fundamentally. When I first saw this, I checked the seal with his permission. There wasn't any weakening or any change for that matter. I'm not sure what happened, but I think his mastery of Kage Bunshin may have something to do with it. It's not really a bad change. Just be ready for some weird stuff. He'll probably surprise you"

"Okay…" _'Surprise? I'd like to see that'_

--

As Kakashi stopped at the door to the classroom (three hours later of course), he noticed a sound coming from inside.

_Tk…tk…tk…tk…tk…tk…tk_

If he had to guess, Kakashi would say that it sounded like a pencil being tapped against a desk. He was about to open the door when he heard a voice from inside.

"Naruto-baka! Stop tapping that damn pencil! It's been three hours!" said the shrill voice of a girl.

'_Must be the Haruno girl'_

The tapping then stopped. Kakashi heard a stressed "Thank you" from inside. He was about to open it again when he heard another sound.

_Tktktktktktktktktktktk_

Kakashi sweatdropped and quickly opened the door in order to prevent possible bloodshed. As he did however, he felt a strange rushing of air, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting at a desk in the room. Before he had time to register any of this, a fist connected with his face sending him into the adjacent aisle.

Regaining his bearings and getting to his feet, Kakashi saw a young girl, frozen in shock with her fist outstretched, having not moved since hitting him. Glancing over to where he was standing, he noticed a young boy with blonde-spiky hair standing at the door with a satisfied smirk on. Realizing he had just been the unwilling subject of a kawarimi, Kakashi spoke.

"Well, my first impression of you is…I hate you. Come to the roof" he then poofed away.

A few minutes later, Kakashi was sitting on the rail on the edge of the roof, the three would-be genin sitting on the steps in front of them. Kakashi examined his new charges. Sitting on the far right (form his perspective) was black-haired (which kind of resembled a chicken butt) boy with a brooding expression. He had black eyes and was wearing a navy-blue shirt and white pants with his headband tied around his forehead. The last (well, second to last) Uchiha, Sasuke.

Sitting next to him was a pink-haired girl with green eyes wearing a red dress and her Hitei-ate tied around the top of her head. She would occasionally shoot a dreamy glance at Sasuke. Sakura Haruno according to the file.

And finally, sitting, well, kind of sitting next to Sakura was the blonde that had kawarimied with him to avoid the former's wrath. Naruto Uzumaki. He did bear a striking resemblance to his father, with his blonde, spiky hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a plain black T-shirt and plain black pants with his headband tied around his neck. His sitting position alone said how accurate, or inaccurate as it was, his profile was and how much he had apparently changed. According to his profile, Naruto probably should have been sitting up with barely contained energy. Instead, Naruto had sat down on the top step and was now laying on his back, staring up at the sky, looking board.

"Alright, I guess we'll all introduce ourselves. Pinky, you first"

Sakura looked annoyed at the nickname but didn't comment on it, instead, she looked confused.

"Um, sensei, what exactly are we supposed to say?"

'_Okay, just how did she get such high marks at the academy?'_

"You know, name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future…"

"Well then, why don't you go first _sensei_" Naruto spoke up.

"You're still awake?" Sasuke said in a mocking tone.

"Nope" Naruto replied, leaving everyone thinking 'huh?'

"Well, my name's Kakashi Hatake. I really don't have any likes or dislikes. Dreams for the future…Well I do have some hobbies"

'_So all we learned is his name huh? Wait…why do I care? Oh well'_

"Alright pinky, you're up"

"My name is Sakura Haruno. My likes are Sasuke-kun! My dislikes are Ino-buta and Naruto-baka!" she pretty much yelled while glaring at Naruto.

"Do I look like I care? And since we all know that her hobbies are stalking Sasuke and her dream is to rape him, can we just move on? I'd rather listen to her mindless fangirl ranting as little as possible" Naruto spoke up.

Sakura looked like she was shocked and ticked at the same time, while Sasuke just looked surprised. Kakashi realized that the Hokage hadn't been kidding about the kid changing so much if his classmates were this shocked by his behavior. He decided to follow the kid's advice, the girl was getting annoying.

"Okay emo, you're up"

Sasuke looked annoyed for a second, but quickly schooled his face into one of the brooding emo that he was.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have any likes or dislikes. My hobbies are training. I don't have a dream. It's more of an ambition. To kill a certain man, and to revive my clan"

"No you won't" Naruto said again.

Apparently, this was a sore spot for Sasuke because he immediately glared at the blond and spoke in a low voice with venom.

"And just why won't I?"

"Because you can't electrocute a ghost. That's why"

Only one thought was going through everyone's head.

WTF?!

"Alright, on that note, how about you go next?"

"…"

"…"

Silence

"Um…you still awake there?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm just thinking of what to say. Well…my names Naruto Uzumaki, that's Maelstrom, NOT FISHPASTE FOR THE 206 TIME!" he said/yelled (still from his reclined position). "My likes…wow, pretty small list…I guess old man Sarutobi and Iruka-sensei considering they don't treat me like shit. And ramen, good stuff that. My dislikes…much bigger list…pretty much everyone in this village since they treat me like shit, Sasuke, since he's an arrogant, stuck-up prick, and Sasuke fangirls since they're annoying, whiny bitches who have no concept of being quiet for two seconds or even communicating in something other then screaming"

"Um, I'M SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU!" Sakura screamed at him (and kind of proved his point too from Kakashi's perspective) while Sasuke just smirked. At least he had realized the truth of the fangirl.

"I'm sorry, did you say something? I couldn't hear anything over the incessant screaming"

Deciding to defuse the situation before Sakura tried to brutally murder Naruto (and himself or Sasuke getting targeted for possible Kawarimi), Kakashi spoke up again.

"And, your dreams for the future?"

"Ah yes" Naruto replied as he sat up and glanced around as if thinking about his answer. "What is my dream? Burn Konoha to the soil maybe?" Everyone looked at him, unease VERY apparent in their eyes, Kakashi especially. "Just kidding" he said as he laid back down. "I guess my dream would be…"

"…"

"…"

"…be what?"

"…"

"…MELON!!" Naruto yelled as he sat up, scaring the shit out of everyone and almost making Kakashi fall off the railing.

After everyone recovered, they looked at him like he was mentally retarded, in a way, he was.

"Uh…melon?" Kakashi asked. "Your dream is 'melon'"

Naruto crossed his arms and looked serious. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it"

"BAKA! WHAT KIND OF A DREAM IS THAT?!" Sakura screamed as she got ready to punch him again. As her fist collided with Naruto's head however, he burst into smoke revealing…Sasuke…who flew back about ten feet with a very large bump on his head. As Sakura tried to digest what just happened (something that made Kakashi once again question her IQ level considering Naruto had done the same thing five minutes ago), Naruto spoke up from behind her.

"Well…I suppose that's one way to knock him out so you can rape him. Though I'd say tranquilizer darts would probably work much better"

Sakura, apparently more concerned with Sasuke then the fact that Naruto had just made her slug him in the face, ran over to the emo as he got to his feet, glaring daggers at Naruto all the while.

As Kakashi observed all this, he made a mental assessment of this team.

'_Let's see…an emo, his fangirl, and a bipolar junchrikki. Well, I guess they have some potential. I guess we'll see during the survival test'_

"Um…Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked up to see Naruto hanging from the large awning over the roof, Sasuke and Sakura trying to pull him down, probably to pummel him. "A little help? Please?"

As he sweatdropped, Kakashi cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Well, now that we're all done introducing ourselves, I think it's time to discuss the matter of you graduation test"

This had the desired effect as this new prospect immediately grabbed Sasuke's attention, and Sakura seemed to have the attention span of a nail since Naruto was out of reach, either that or she was just mimicking Sasuke.

"But sensei, we already passed our genin test"

"That was only a test of whether or not you have the skill to become ninja. Whether or not you're _worthy_ to become shinobi is up to your jounin sensei, AKA, me"

"So what is this test of yours?" Naruto asked as he dropped to the ground.

"It's a survival training test. I won't say anymore then that. Be at training field 7 tomorrow mourning at 7:00 am. Oh and don't eat breakfast. You'll just throw up"

As the man 'poofed' away, a variety of thoughts were going through the heads of the genin. Though more thoughts were going through the head of one then his companions.

"_I must pass this test, to defeat HIM"_

"_I have to pass this test, otherwise I'll never get close to Sasuke-kun!"_

"_**Well well. Survival training? Against a jounin? This should be fun"**_

'_Ah man. Survival training? Against a jounin? I hope we do okay'_

"_Hm…This will difficult. We will have to do some planning"_

"_COOL. MAYBE WE'LL GET TO TEST OUT THE NEW JUTSUS. AND MAYBE SEE SOME NEW ONES"_

'_THE PAINT CANS ARE ATTACKING! THE PAINT CANS ARE ATTACKING I TELL YOU!'_

--

AN: Well, so begins my newest fic. I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to pair Naruto with anyone, but if I do, it's going to be Hinata. And yes, Naruto is very OOC. That will be explained later, along with the weird thoughts. And I'm not going to be able to update over spring break because I'm going on vacation. But I'll have a lot of free time to write during the flight so when I get back, expect a few updates (including Inner Chaos hopefully).


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter II**

**Attack of the (Retarded) Clones**

--

Kakashi calmly strode through Konoha. It really was a nice mourning. The birds were singing. The sky was clear, and he'd get to mess with the heads of and/or beat the shit out of little kids once again. Today was going to be fun.

He had no idea who he was messing with.

Observing the training field from a tree, he found his three new charges. Most of whom seemed to be extremely board.

Sasuke was standing against the center post, brooding (like he ever does anything else (except train and run from his fangirls of course)?). Sakura was sitting against the post to his left, staring dreamily at Sasuke (again, like she does anything else?). Naruto…where was Naruto?

Glancing over to the third pole, Kakashi noticed something sticking out from behind it. A pair of legs and feet lying on the ground.

'_Sleeping eh? Well, he's got more sense then the other two. If this keeps up I'll probably have to just throw that file on him away'_

Deciding to make himself known, Kakashi jumped down from the tree he was in. Sakura, upon noticing him, immediately made her mood clear (and everyone else temporarily deaf).

"YOU'RE LATE!!

Removing his fingers from his ears, Kakashi started on one of his genius (to him anyway) excuse speeches.

"Sorry, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way to be safe"

As everyone looked at him like he was crazy, a voice sounded from behind the post.

"Are you sure that was smart? I thought you had to go back to your house, sacrifice a lamb, then kill the cat, bury it in the exact place it crossed you, THEN take the long way" Naruto said as he got up from behind the post confusing everyone even more. He had apparently gotten new clothes sense the day before. He now wore black combat pants with black combat boots. He also wore black and dark orange unzipped jacket over the black T-shirt from the day before (1).

'_Whoa. Never got THAT reaction before'_

"Well, yeah. But I was short on time and just taking the long way works, there's just no guarantee"

"Ah" Naruto nodded in agreement.

"BAKA! You actually believe him?!" Sakura yelled at him.

"Nope. I just thought I'd go along with it" Naruto replied.

Deciding to defuse the situation before things got violent (again), Kakashi brought a pair of bells from his ninja pouch.

"Alright, here's how the test is going to work" he said, getting everyone's attention.

"There are two bells here. Your mission is to take them from me. This will be full combat. You can use anything in your arsenal against me, and you'll have to come at me with the intent to kill if you want any chance"

Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes widened at this, while Naruto just smirked.

"_**Intent to kill eh? SWEET!"**_

"_Well, it's a good thing we made preparations. He'll regret doing that"_

"_OH YEAH. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE HIM REGRET SAYING THAT"_

Tying the bells to his belt and pulling a pair of bentos from his pouch, Kakashi walked over to the memorial stone and placed them in front of it.

"At noon, those who didn't get a bell will be tied to a post, while those that did will get to eat these in front of them. If nobody gets a bell, then I'll eat them in front of you"

Two stomachs grumbled while Naruto just snickered and spoke in a sing-song voice.

"That's what ya get for not listening to me. Or thinking for that matter"

"And there's one more thing" Kakashi said. "If you fail to get a bell, not only will you be tied to a post and not get to eat lunch, but you'll also be sent back to the academy"

Now everyone's eyes widened, though Naruto's quickly seemed to harden into one of contemplation.

"But sensei…there's only two bells" Sakura said, unease obvious in her voice.

"Wow. She can count? Amazing!" Naruto said, making her glare at him.

"Well, yeah. One of you will be going back to the academy. That's why you'll have to come at me with the intent to kill"

Not one second after he finished speaking, Naruto drew a kunai and drew back his hand to throw it. However, he found his hand suddenly bound, and Kakashi no longer in front of him.

"Geez. Don't be so hasty. I never said to start" Kakashi said, one hand binding Naruto's wrist, the other on his head.

Naruto simply smirked.

"I know. I just thought…"

"…I'd test the waters" said a very familiar voice from behind Kakashi.

Behind Kakashi, was another Naruto, this one with a kunai to his back.

Glancing behind him, Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"Having a clone draw me out so you could ambush? You're smarter then you let on"

"Well, isn't deception part of being a shinobi?" the Naruto behind him said.

Sasuke and Sakura were currently gaping at the display of cunning Naruto had just shown, but before they could do anything, Kakashi spoke.

"Alright then…start!"

The Naruto in front of Kakashi instantly drew a kunai with his free hand and spun around, slashing across Kakashi's chest while the other stabbed him his kunai. However, Kakashi poofed into a log.

Looking to Sasuke and Sakura, the Narutos found they were already gone, hidden in the foliage. Stowing their kunai, the Narutos ran off in a seemingly random direction.

Up in the trees, blue eyes gazed upon the situation.

--

In another clearing, Kakashi stood, seemingly board as he read his orange book.

Suddenly, several kunai came flying out of the trees, which the jounin dodged easily, along with a flying kick from Naruto.

Catching Naruto's leg, Kakashi hurled him into a tree, dispelling the clone.

"You think just because you have shadow clones, you can go toe-to-toe with a jounin?" Kakashi taunted.

"Well, no. But I do have few advantages" the Naruto in front of him said. "Like this"

With that, a hail of kunai came flying out of the trees. Kakashi simply leapt upward, dodging the knives. However, as the weapons passed under him, they all were enveloped in smoke to reveal…Naruto clones. The clones brought out six kunai each and through them upward at the jounin, only to impale a large log.

As Kakashi landed, he sped into the group of clones, slicing though them with his own kunai. After they were all dispelled, Kakashi was left all alone in the clearing.

'_So…not only does he adapt on the fly, he also stays out of the battle so he can assess the situation. He's probably up in the trees now trying to think of a way to counterattack. He's definitely a sharp kid, but even then, if he can't figure out the purpose of this test, he's got no purpose being a shinobi'_

Before he could leave however, another hail of kunai came down on the jounin, along with more Naruto clones.

--

Little did Kakashi know, but figure out the test was exactly what Naruto was trying to do right now. Hidden far from the area of battle on pretty much the other side of the forest that was the training area, Naruto sat against a tree, trying to think of a way to pass Kakashi's test. As he contemplated, a voice sounded in his head.

'_Chief! It's no good. There's no way we can beat him at our currant level. Any luck on figuring out how to pass?'_

'_No. I haven't come up with anything yet. All teams, how much longer can you stall him?'_ Naruto thought out his mental reply/order to the clones in question. A second later, five replies reached him.

'_Fire team Alpha's at 85'_

'_Fire team Beta's at 91'_

'_Fire team Charlie's at 87'_

'_Fire team Delta's at 83'_

'_Fire team Echo's at 85'_

Naruto thought over what he had just heard. Suddenly, a new message arrived.

'_Chief! He's moving out!'_

'_What?! Damn it! Alright. Fire team's Beta and Charlie, send out scouts and track him. All other teams, stand by and await further orders'_

'_YES SIR!'_

--

At that time, roughly two miles from Naruto's position, a grand total of seven clones stood in the trees above the ground, hidden from sight from those on the ground, one of the clones in a sitting position with his hands making the ram seal with his eyes closed.

The clone got to his feet and made a series of hand signs to another one, the other five being gathered around the second. The first clone made the handsign for Kage Bunshin, followed by a gesture to his eyes, then covered his left eye with his hand, then swiped his hand across his neck and tapped his ear and pointed up. The second clone nodded and created two bunshin. The bunshin nodded and leapt off through the trees. At the same time, another group of clones were doing the same thing, while three other groups were doing just neck-swiping onward, without creating any new bunshin.

--

Sasuke swore as he knocked down again by Kakashi. He was getting his ass kicked! Wasn't he the rookie of the year?! Heck even the dead last had gotten some good hits in. If the dead last could do it…WHY COULDN'T HE?!

"Damn it," Sasuke swore as he made handsigns, surprising Kakashi.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Sasuke cried as he spat a giant fireball at the jounin.

When the smoke cleared, Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

'_Did I get him?'_

Suddenly however, a pair of hands grabbed his feet and dragged him under ground up to his neck. Looking up, he saw Kakashi staring down at him, obviously smirking.

"You know, maybe you should try taking some pages from Naruto's book. Or are you just to good to be imitating the dead last?" Kakashi said as he turned to leave.

Neither one of them noticed the blonde boy watching them from the trees.

'_Commander. He's incapacitated Sasuke. He's moving out now. I recorded some interesting information. I'll send it back now'_

A puff of smoke later and all trace of the clone's existence was gone.

--

Naruto smirked as the information from the clone that witnessed Sasuke's battle was relayed to him.

'_Goukakyuu eh? Yeah. That should come in handy'_

His smirk changed into a groan of exasperation as he was relayed the information concerning Sakura's…er…battle? Well more like a pathetic knock out.

That in turn changed to one of seriousness as a clone relayed a message to him.

'_Sir. Kakashi's been sighted in the clearing from before. If we don't move now, he may come after us next! Any luck on what he wants? Our teamwork alone just isn't going to cut it'_

'_I know. Wait! Teamwork… Yeah that may be it'_

'_Chief?'_

'_I figured it out! All teams, prepare to move! Charlie Team, locate Sakura and brief her on the situation. Delta Team, do the same for Sasuke. We'll need them for this. Fire teams Alpha, Beta and Echo, engage operation WTF!'_

'_Understood sir!'_

A dark smirk spread across Naruto's face.

"Alright sensei, let's see ya squirm"

--

In the middle of the clearing, Kakashi stood, reading his porn. Little did he know, he was in for the shock of his life.

Suddenly, Kakashi jumped out of the way of a hail of kunai.

"Doing the same thing over and over isn't going to get the job done Naruto" he taunted. "Maybe you shou-"

He was cut off as he was forced to dodge…a sofa?

'_What the…?'_

This was quickly followed by tables, chairs, trees, roof tiles, more chairs, stuffed cats, real cats and many other random objects.

As Kakashi dodged a lawnmower, he yelled out the question anyone would be asking themselves.

"Where is he getting this stuff?!"

Deciding to test a theory, he hit an oncoming telephone pole with a kunai. The pole poofed away.

'_So he's having his bunshin henge into random objects and throwing them at me? Okay…this kid has issues. Though it is effective. What the…?'_

His train of thought stopped as about 200 clones all jumped high into the air above him. The clones all made the ram handsign and Kakashi tensed as he prepared for an attack. It would be a futile effort.

The clones cried out as smoke obscured them.

"TAJUU BUNSHIN HENGE!"

As the smoke cleared, Kakashi's mouth dropped and he thought only one thing.

'_WTF?!'_

"TROJAN BUNNY!!"

The clones had henged into a giant wooden rabbit that was now falling on Kakashi.

Realizing that this could be a serious threat if he didn't do something, Kakashi made handsigns as the bunny fell on him.

"RAIKIRI" the legendary lightning blade easily cut through the henged clones, dispelling the large rabbit.

In the trees above him, only one thought was going through several clones heads.

'_Operation WTF…success'_

--

Sasuke struggled to dig himself out of the hole Kakashi had buried him in. He was just about to yell out in anger when he heard chuckling.

"So…the great rookie of the year…buried up to his neck in dirt. Man I wish I had a camera right now" said Naruto standing up in a tree above the clearing.

"What do you want dead last?"

"You know…if I'm the dead last…and you're worse off then me…what does that make you? The undead last? Okay bad pun. Look do you want my help or not?"

Sasuke looked surprised for a second, then schooled his expression.

"I don't need your help. You'll just weigh me down"

"Well with that attitude you'll never pass Kakashi's test. Look, I'm only doing this because we all need to fight him in order to pass. Hear me out, and I'll dig you out, okay?"

"Okay"

"Good" Naruto then created a clone which then kawarimied with Sasuke, causing him to be pretty much warped out of the hole.

"It saves effort" Naruto explained.

"Okay, what is this plan of yours?"

"Alright. Kakashi said that we have to get a bell to pass, and there are only two of us. Therefore, only two of us can pass, right?"

"Yeah. I know that" Sasuke replied.

"Wrong. How many Genin teams have you seen that are composed of less then three genin and one jounin?"

Watching Sasuke contemplate this, Naruto continued.

"Exactly. You haven't. That's because there are none, excluding those that have lost a member. If you remember from our history lessons, when the Shodaime first came up with this system, he made it law that all new genin teams would be composed of three genin and one jounin sensei. The only one that can override that law is the Hokage in special circumstances. So unless Kakashi is bluffing, he's committing a federal offence. So he must be bluffing" Naruto explained.

Sasuke was now looking at him like he had just grown wings, tails and giant spikes out of his spine. Naruto sweatdropped.

"Look, let's just say some things happened and now I'm a lot smarter then before. But we don't have time to talk about it"

Sasuke quickly schooled his face again. "So what's your point?"

"My point is, is that it's all or nothing. Either we all pass or none of us pass. And here's how we do it. This test is supposed to test our teamwork. The bells are only a diversion to split us up. What he wants is for all three of us to make a combined effort to get the bells. In other words, teamwork. If we do that, then we'll pass. I guarantee it"

"You sure about this?"

"Positive. The chief's a lot smarter then you give him credit for. Now come on. Another teams getting Sakura. We're meeting near the main clearing" Naruto said as he turned to run off.

"Wait! Who's this 'chief'?" Sasuke asked as he followed him.

"The original of course. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I'm just a clone"

Sasuke was gaping, but quickly followed the clone. He never noticed the clone that had switched with him now looked like him.

--

Near the said clearing, Naruto watched as Kakashi dispatched another wave of clones, these having henged in ostriches. A message from the retrieval teams then reached him.

'_Chief. We're in position'_

'_Good. All teams, commence operation 'DOUBLE-CROSS''_

'_YES SIR!'_

--

Kakashi was board and extremely weirded out at this point. He had dispatched wave after wave of clones, all of them henge'd into everything from giant living trees to elephants to large carts pulled by donkeys. He was also extremely confused as to what the heck Naruto was trying to accomplish. What he was doing obviously wasn't working.

'_What is he planning? He's obviously stalling for something. But what is it?'_

It was then that Kakashi heard something coming from the memorial stone.

The sound of ripping plastic.

'_That little sneak'_

Shunshining over to the stone, he found Naruto opening one of the bentos. Kakashi shook his head. He had expected better of someone who had appeared so sharp.

"Well well. What have we here?" Kakashi said as he jumped on the stone above Naruto. "Trying to cheat and get lunch early? Well, we can't have that can we?"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto and created a pair of Kage Bunshin to get Sasuke and Sakura. It was time to teach them a lesson.

--

Kakashi looked over his three charges, all of them tied to the poles.

"I have to say, I am very disappointed in all of you. You never even got close to what this test meant, did you?"

"Well, Kakashi-_sensei_," Naruto spoke up "there's one thing your forgetting"

"Oh? And what exactly am I forgetting?" Kakashi asked.

"We haven't lost yet"

"Huh?" Kakashi asked, wondering what he meant, when a hail of kunai came at him.

Realization dawning on him, the jounin ducked under the barrage, and looked around.

"You didn't…" his eyes wide.

"We did" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all said in the same voice before going poof.

Looking around the clearing, Kakashi saw he was surrounded by dozens of clones, all of them henged into either Naruto, Sakura, or Sasuke.

"Alright! Let's go!" One of the Naruto's yelled.

They charged.

Kakashi drew a pair of kunai and began hacking through the clones, until he heard a familiar yell.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as he let loose a massive fireball, followed by a cloud of kunai and shuriken by Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi dodged the first few kunai and was about to jump away when he noticed something.

He couldn't move.

The kunai that he had dodged had really been henged clones, that were now holding him down. Quickly running through handseals, Kakashi cried out.

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" a large wall of water appeared around him, shielding from the fireball. As the wall fell, Kakashi, panting, looked to the three genin in front of him, the clones having spread out and dispelled their henge.

"So Kakashi-sensei…do we pass?" said a smirking Naruto.

"Well, you never got any bells…" Kakashi said.

"Actually…" Naruto said before disappearing in a 'poof', making Kakashi check his belt. The bells were gone. Glancing behind him, Kakashi gaped, along with Sasuke and Sakura. Standing on the lake behind them, were easily 100 Narutos. The clones parted, as one of them walked through, the two bells resting in his hand.

"…we did" with that he snapped his fingers

Hundreds of Naruto's appeared on the trees around them, popped out of the ground, and came out of the water. While Sasuke and Sakura stood gaping, Kakashi shook his head.

"This is the first time we've seen you today hasn't it?"

"Yep. Even the Naruto that was waiting here was one. I've been at least 200 feet from any of you this entire time" with that, Naruto tossed the bells to Sasuke and Sakura.

"So as I was saying…do we pass?"

"Heh…I guess you do" Kakashi replied.

--

AN: Well, second chapter up. What do you think? Naruto's random behavior is actually a reflection of my own, kinda. As for the Trojan Bunny…I don't know, I kinda just popped into my head.

(1). Imagine Naruto's Shippuden outfit only with black pants, boots and his jacket unzipped.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter III**

**Hexapolar**

**Part 1**

**Which is Better?**

**Being Crazy or Being Stupid?**

--

Kakashi carefully concealed his presence as he stood on the edge of a large clearing not unlike the one he had been in a few minutes ago. After passing them, his students had gone their separate ways. Sasuke had headed off to the Uchiha district to train, Sakura following him like a giant magnet.

However, there was still something Kakashi needed to check on. And some answers he needed.

_Flashback_

"Heh…I guess you do" Kakashi replied.

Naruto and Sasuke smirked and Sakura cheered.

Naruto then surprised everyone again by closing his eyes and holding his hands in the ram sign. As it on que, all of the clones did the exact same thing.

Then, all of the clones suddenly disintegrated.

And they didn't create the normal 'poof' of white smoke that usually accompanied the dispelling of a clone. Instead, they seemed to simply evaporate into thin air. Not unlike the concealment genjutsu Kurenai used Kakashi noted.

Making sure none of his genin were looking, Kakashi pulled his hitei-ate up to reveal his other eye. A fully matured Sharingan, the final, parting gift from his teammate, Obito Uchiha.

Looking on with his partial doujutsu active, Kakashi gasped at what he saw.

The clones were being converted back into pure chakra. The basic theory of the bunshin jutsu was molding pure chakra into an ethereal construct that looked to be the original, but had no physical form. The theory of the Kage Bunshin was molding so much chakra that the construct it created had a physical form. Though most of the bodily functions, such as breathing and sleeping, were outside the reach of the construct, it retained the ability to think, to a degree. Most Kage Bunshin did not have the ability to achieve thought processes on the same level as their creator, though all memories gained through their 'life' would be funneled back to the user upon their dispelling. In short, Kage Bunshin took far more chakra to create then normal Bunshin.

What Kakashi was seeing right now, was nothing short of incredible. The chakra the clones were being converted into…was flowing back into Naruto. The boy was currently the center of a mystifying swirling vortex of blue chakra as the clones evaporated. Kakashi was awed by the display, since he was the only one who could see it thanks to his Sharingan. Naruto had done what no one else had done before. He had found a way return the chakra consumed by using Kage Bunshin, making the total net loss practically zero. What was also incredible was that Kakashi noticed that each clone seemed to be being converted into more chakra then a normal clone should have. Meaning that Naruto's clones were made up of more chakra then usual.

After about thirty seconds, the display ended as the last of the chakra funneled into Naruto's tenketsu. With that, he brushed imaginary dust off of his jacket, turned around and walked off.

"See ya. I'm going to go do some training"

_End Flashback_

Now, Kakashi was standing on the edge of the secluded training spot he had followed Naruto to. Whatever training he was doing, Naruto didn't want any observers. Kakashi knew he should be respecting his student's privacy, but too many things didn't add up. Something _did_ happen that night when he learned the Kage Bunshin no jutsu, and Kakashi needed to find out what. If nothing else, to gauge his skill and abilities. Should, or rather _when_ Team 7 found themselves in a combat situation, Kakashi, as their commander, would need to know how Naruto's skills could be utilized.

--

Naruto now stood in the middle of the field. He had found this spot a few days before when he was looking for a secluded spot to train. This large field was around six acres and was situated on top of the Hokage mountain, directly behind and to the right (from the rest of the village's perspective) of the Yondaime's head. It was far away from any kind of settlement, the closest was a small cluster of observation centers and a weather station behind the Yondaime's head. There wasn't even a path there. There was a small lake with a waterfall on the eastern side that fed into a stream that ran through the clearing. Naruto hadn't explored past the waterfall, though he intended to at some point. Along with several large rocks and the dense surrounding forest to muffle noise, it made a perfect training area for him.

Naruto made the cross-shaped hand-sign, and roughly 1,000 clones appeared, filling up a third of the clearing.

"Alright!" Naruto shouted to the clones. "We're making a slight change this time. Teams Alpha and Beta, start Taijutsu practice. Cubia and Delta, you've got Ninjutsu. Echo and Fidchell, practice henge. Gamma and Halo, work on speed. Innis and Jango, practice the chakra pulse. Now let's get to work!"

The clones uttered a cry of "Yes sir!" while raising their right hand in front of their forehead in some kind of salute and divided themselves into groups of about two hundred. The first group moved to the left of the field and began Taijutsu sparring. The second group moved out onto the lake and stood in front of the waterfall. They started making handseals and shooting large fireballs into it. The third group moved to the left side of the field and began henge'ing into different things, mainly combination henge's. The next group moved into the woods, while the final group spread out around the entire clearing, all doing…something, Kakashi couldn't discern what. When all this was done, Naruto breathed out and spoke.

"Since you're obviously curious about my changes, why don't you come out and ask me yourself, Kakashi-sensei"

Kakashi's eyes widened, but quickly schooled his expression as he walked out into the open.

"So how long did you know I was their? You should know that that concealment technique is used by ANBU. Even some jounin can't see through it"

Naruto smirked and pointed up into the trees. Kakashi looked to see a bit of blonde hair visible before disappearing.

"From the moment you started following me"

Kakashi's visible eye widened.

"And as for it being ANBU, well I did design the recon clone by observing ANBU and high-level jounin"

"Recon clone?" Kakashi said.

"(sigh), well I'm guessing you're here to get an estimation of my abilities since all previous information on me has pretty much gone down the drain. Am I wrong?" Naruto said.

"That's correct" Kakashi replied. Once again, Naruto had surprised him, this time with an incredibly innate sense of perception, as well as skill.

"Well…guess I'll start with Kage Bunshin, since it's the only real major skill I have" Naruto said as he leaned against one of the large rocks. Kakashi leaned against another.

"You're familiar with the basic theory of Kage Bunshin, correct?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi nodded.

"Good. Since Kage Bunshin are composed completely of chakra, I've found a way to alter the 'mix' of chakra as well as the amount to change their physical capabilities" Naruto began.

Before Kakashi could react, Naruto pointed to the first two groups of clones that were sparring. Kakashi noticed, that even though they had struck each other multiple times, none of the clones had been dispelled.

"The tank clone, as I call them. I've re-adjusted the chakra used to create them so that they have far increased physical mass and density, making them much harder to destroy. They're even tougher then me. In exchange, they have almost no chakra control and can't use any form of jutsu"

Pointing to the clones using Goukakyuu, Naruto continued. "Those are the casters. As they name suggests they specialize in using Ninjutsu. I altered the chakra mix so that they have far more chakra reserves then normal, as well as having very good control over it. In exchange, they are _very_ easy to destroy, but like the tanks, they have their uses"

"What about those recon clones you talked about?"

"Ah yes. Those were pretty hard to make. With the way I've altered the mix of chakra, their physical density, strength, chakra stores, and general combat abilities have been reduced to near zero. In exchange, they have incredibly high senses of sight, smell and hearing. They can also travel at very high speeds, thus making them the perfect scouts"

Kakashi nodded, but then spoke.

"You can probably tell me about this later, but what I really wanted to talk to you about was what happened last week. When you became a shinobi"

"Ah" Naruto answered. "The old man didn't tell you about it?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"No. He said it would be better to ask you. He said that you would be able to explain better then he could"

"Alright then…" Naruto said as he looked up to the sky, the memories of that fateful night coming back to him. The day that had changed his whole life…forever.

--

_Flashback: _

_Six days earlier._

_Konoha Ninja Academy._

_1025 hours_

Naruto sat at his desk, practically overflowing with anticipation. He was DEFINITELY going to pass this year! He knew it! He had been pouring almost all of his free time into practicing the bunshin jutsu. And he knew he had it to where he could pass. With all the time and effort he had put into those three jutsus, there was no way he could fail!

They had started the testing about 30 minutes ago, and about half of the class had already gone. Naruto was always one of the last to go, for some reason.

"Shikamaru Nara!" Mizuki called. Said boy groaned as he got up and walked down towards the front, muttering something like "troublesome".

As Shikamaru took the exam, Naruto began staring off into space. His thoughts wandered back to those weird dreams he'd been having the past few days. They were, to put things bluntly, weird as hell. For the most part, Naruto's dreams were nothing special. They'd have him doing things like becoming Hokage, Sakura finally seeing how much better he was then that bastard Sasuke, or him eating a whole lot of ramen. But these were…different. They had started five days ago, and had been greatly different each night.

The first night had been…peaceful if there was any word that Naruto could describe it with. He had seen a lush green landscape, crisscrossed with rivers and streams. They originated from a massive waterfall that fell from a great cliff that went around in a complete circle. The streams flowed to the center of this great pit, and dropped again into a large lake, itself a perfect circle as well. In the center of this lake was a small island, a simple mound of sand sticking out of the water. Kneeling on this island, his head held low and his eyes closed, was a boy, the same age as him, with long blue hair that fell down his back and in front of his eyes in two strands. He was wearing a navy blue shirt along with a white hakama and simple sandals. From his shoulders fell a white haori. Something was strapped to his right hip, but Naruto didn't get a good look at it. The boy then raised his head, opening his ocean-blue eyes, eyes filled with kindness and caring, and gazed up at the sky, a smile on his face. Naruto had gasped at what he saw then. The boy's cheeks were crossed with three lines each, just like Naruto.

"Please tell me…where are you?" the boy spoke, as if asking the heavens themselves.

With that the dream had ended.

The second night had been downright scary in Naruto's opinion.

He stood in what he could only describe as a hellish wasteland. Trees lay burning, the ground was singed. The ruins of some once great city lay around him. The remains of buildings stood burning. The sky was pitch black from an incredible amount of smoke. All around him, fire seemed to burn. Even on the ground itself, some flames burned. Then, he saw more. Bodies. Dead ones. Hundreds were strewn around him. All in great piles that were themselves on fire. A great laughter caught Naruto's attention and he turned to its source. What he saw, would normally have made him cringe. The largest pile of bodies, hundreds of them, in what seemed to have once been the cities main square. Behind it was a massive castle that was also in flames. Scattered around the pile were dozens of flaming crosses. All had a corpse nailed to them. Then Naruto noticed something about the castle. Atop its ramparts, were more flaming crosses, a corpse nailed to each and every one. Great poles rising from the ramparts, from which great banners might once have flown, were now decorated with yet more corpses, impaled from groin to head. Atop the highest spire of the castle, stood the origin of the laughter. A boy no older then Naruto stood atop a great cross at the top of the spire, to which a final body was nailed, this one of a man in expensive clothing. The city's ruler probably. Upon closer inspection however, Naruto realized that the man was not _nailed_ to the cross. The cross, made of thin metal rods, had been _impaled_ through the man. The vertical rod through his torso, the horizontal one through his arms. The boy atop the cross cackled madly. He had fiery red hair that spiked in many directions, but mostly towards the back and onto his neck. His eyes were a bright crimson and gazed out upon the destruction with sadistic glee. He was garbed in black, demonic armor that had the appearance of scales or some kind of dragon or demon hide, complete with claws on the hands. On each shoulder was a large spike from which three smaller spikes emerged. Falling from the top of the spine were three chain-like tassels that resembled tails of some kind. In his right hand, he held a massive demonic scythe. The large weapon had a tapered point on the bottom, from which a vine-like pattern crept up the metal shaft. At the top, there were large metal spikes, each one about a foot long. The blade itself seemed to be as tall as the user's forearm and at least twice as long. Then Naruto noticed a final detail. On the boys cheeks, were the same whisker like marks that he had.

"Where are you…whelp?! Where are you?!" The figure cackled, a mad grin on his face.

That was when Naruto had woken up.

The next dream had been… interesting, if a little weird.

He had stood in a massive cave. Actually, massive didn't do it justice. This cave was _huge_! Naruto was pretty sure most if not all of Konoha could have fit inside it. And it was probably a few miles in height too! The cave had obviously been made by humans. The walls, floor and ceiling were all made of white marble. The whole room was illuminated by strange stones that gave off a bluish-green glow. Some rested on pedestals that stood in niches in the walls, while other, larger ones hung from the ceiling or stood on large pedestals rising from the floor. About halfway up the wall was a walkway that ringed the entire room. Large staircases descended from this walkway to a lower level about 20 feet below it. This level was a large floor and held several of the crystals that illuminated the room. From this one, more staircases descended to yet another lower level. This cycle continued, a few dozen times or more until it reached the level Naruto was on. on some of the walls on these descending levels, Naruto could see wrought iron doors that seemed to lead to long hallways made of the same marble. Each level, along with the whole room, was perfectly square. From Naruto position, more levels descended further, until finally reaching the bottom. On the lowest level, a massive spire rose upwards. The spire was huge, reaching easily to roughly halfway up into the chasm, which would be a mile at the least. The spire covered almost the entire bottom floor, probably an acre or two. The spire was made of the same white marble as everything else, with large, column-like pieces coming from its corners and sides, eight total. It was vaguely pyramid-like in shape, its sides slanting inward at occasional intervals. In some places, starting at roughly a third of the way up, part of the center column would be missing. In these spaces were massive crystals like the other ones that lit the room, only these were completely white and about 50 times bigger then any of the others. At the very top, was the biggest crystal of them all. It had to be at least the size of the Hokage tower, and it was shaped like a massive blooming flower. The crystal was a bluish-white, and semi-transparent with four conical pieces, each roughly the size of a person, rising from around the center and curving back to make a semi-shielded space in the exact center of the crystal. Then Naruto saw it. Like both of his previous dreams, there was a boy his age here. The boy sat in the exact enter of the crystal, his legs crossed, and his eyes closed. Like both of his previous dreams, even though he was far away from the boy, he could clearly make out his features. He had messy brown hair that fell down onto his neck from the sides and back, and had whisker-like scars just like Naruto. He wore what seemed to be leather armor. His arms were covered with a multitude of black leather belts, with open brass vambracers on his wrists. A leather cuirass covered his torso, while curved brass plates rested on his shoulders. On his lower back hung a brass circular piece with a pair of rods coming from its sides. From this circular piece fell a long tassel-like cloth. His legs were covered similarly to his arms, with the same colored brass boots. On his back, with no visible from of attachment, rested a massive zanbatou. Suddenly the boy opened his eyes, a shade of brown identical to his hair and filled with a calm seriousness and wisdom, and spoke in a low voice.

"So… where are you? Can you see me? Where do you gaze from?"

With that, he woke up.

Naruto was broken from his thoughts by the high-pitched, fangirlish squealing by most of the girls in the class.

Sasuke had passed apparently.

Naruto eyes unconsciously traveled to the girl sitting next to Sasuke. Sakura Haruno.

'_What in the world do I see in her anyway? She's loud, annoying, she hates me, and she's not even very attractive'_

'_Wait… where did that come from? Sakura's great! Why would I be thinking she was like that?'_

'_If you ignore the annoying, whiny, fangirl bitchiness'_

'_Yeah… Wait, what?!'_

Naruto decided to go back to reminiscing about his dreams and stop thinking about the object of his affection like that.

'_Even though it's true'_

God dammit!!

The dream he had the night before last had been a bit more interesting, and more peaceful.

He had stood on a tall mountain, among so many others. They were massive, jutting upward through the clouds as if trying to pierce the heavens themselves. Deep valleys ran between them, and Naruto could just make out great stone bridges between the mountains connecting tunnels within them. The mountains were shades of dark gray and pure white, covered mostly in pristine white snow. The wind whipped around him, at such a speed that Naruto wondered why he hadn't been blown off, or even moved the slightest for that matter. He couldn't see much beyond the mountains, what could exist beyond the range, but it seemed to be rolling plains beyond them. And in the center of these great peaks, was the greatest of them all. This central mountain towered above the rest, at least twice as tall as any of the others. It was completely covered in pure white snow, and Naruto could only imagine how fast the wind blew up there. Standing atop the summit, was a boy, just like his previous dreams. Like the others, he was about Naruto's age, and had the same whisker-like marks on his cheeks. Also like the others, this was where the similarities ended. His hair was pure white, just like the snow-capped peaks around him, and jutted out in large spikes. His eyes were an equally pure white and filled with joyous mirth, which was complimented by the large smile on his face. He was dressed in red, orange, brown, and yellow clothing. Tiny belts covered most of his shins and a few parts of his thighs. A leather belt, with two looping additions on the side, held his multi-colored pants up. A high collar hid the lower half of his face, with the majority of his chest concealed by a thick leather belt while his arms were covered by a pair of long, elbow-length gloves. Hanging from the back of his waist was a pair of oddly shaped wakizashis.

The boy seemed to sigh in a sort of exasperated manner.

"So… I wonder where you are. I hope you come out soon. That's when the fun's gonna start" he said in a cheerful voice that seemed to carry on the howling wind.

The final dream, the one he had last night, had been… different.

For one thing, he hadn't been standing on the ground, or any surface for that matter. He had been simply floating in a great void, with many objects floating around him. What was really odd was that there was no real theme to the objects around him. They ranged from chairs to paintings to buildings to assorted fruits to a dead rabbit made of ships and corn (how that was possible, Naruto had no idea) that was in front of him. He also saw a few coujims… whatever those were. It was then that he saw his semi-lookalike in this dream. The boy had blonde hair like Naruto, but it was a fair brighter shade of yellow, and fell on the sides and back of his neck in odd braids. He was wearing a simple orange t-shirt and black pants. His eyes were a bright yellow filled with… something, Naruto couldn't figure what. The boy sat on one of the coujims, and in his left hand, was a leek. In his right was a chicken, held by the neck, and squawking madly. Suddenly, the boy ate the chicken, and the squawking was done with.

"Where are you?" the boy said in a seemingly dark tone. "I have a chair rat for you!" he said, changing immediately to a cheerful, sing-song tone, which made Naruto a little creeped out. The boy then yelled. "RETURN MY LAWNMOWER, HEATHEN!!"

Naruto had woken up that mourning thinking, 'WTF?!'

Naruto was broken from his thoughts as he heard his name called by Iruka-sensei.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka called from the front.

Naruto smirked as he got to his feet and walked down the aisle. Now was the time to finally show everyone that he _wasn't_ the deadlast everyone thought he was. He stood at the front of the class before Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei, ready to pass this damn test!

"Alright Naruto, lets start with the basic henge" Mizuki began. "Transform into a perfect copy of Iruka"

Naruto smiled as he made the ram handsign and was obscured in a cloud of smoke. The smoke dissipated to reveal a perfect copy of Iruka.

"Very good Naruto" Mizuki said. The Iruka in front of him went 'poof' to reveal Naruto again.

"Now Naruto, perform the Kawarimi with that chair over their" Iruka said as he pointed to a chair and then threw a chalk eraser at Naruto. However, as it hit Naruto, he went 'poof' to reveal the chair, which was where Naruto was now.

"Good Naruto. Now all you have to do is make two perfect bunshins and you pass" Iruka said, smiling at the blonde. He was confident Naruto could pass this year. He had seen how much effort Naruto had put into making sure his bunshins were perfect, despite how much trouble he seemed to have with it. "You can take your time with this one Naruto, I know how much trouble you have with the bunshin jutsu" Iruka said to Naruto, knowing how much this meant to the boy.

Nodding, Naruto adopted a face of concentration as he held the ram seal and began to gather his chakra for the jutsu.

'_Come on! Gather the chakra, concentrate it. I have to get it this time!'_ he knew he'd be able to make the bunshin right this time. He had done it like this dozens of times over the past week. He _knew_ he'd get it right this time. He felt his chakra being pulled from his central coils. He felt it as he molded it to make the bunshin. He felt it rush through his chakra network as he began to release it.

"_**WHERE ARE YOU… DESTINED CHILD? THE TIME IS NEARLY UPON US"**_

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a flash of silver light, and for one instant, saw a pair of mismatched eyes staring at him from a shrouded face.

The left eye was a dark crimson, and had an odd symbol in it. The symbol was black and was made of three curved blades with a crimson dot in the center, from which curved red lines ran up each of the blades. From the back-curved side of each of the blades, a smaller blade angled downward and connected with the blade behind it. From the juncture where each of the larger blades met the next one, emerged a smaller curved blade.

The right eye was a dull gray, filled with concentric circles, one inside the other. Though it was more simplistic, it seemed to radiate just as much power as the left eye.

Though the face that held the eyes was shrouded, Naruto could make out strands of silver and black hair falling in front of the eyes.

Naruto didn't have any time to think about this as he released his gathered chakra into the jutsu. However, just as he did, he felt his chakra network flooded with… something. He couldn't describe what it was. It didn't feel like his normal chakra. It really didn't feel like anything, or at least anything Naruto had felt before. But there was one thing Naruto could liken it to. Power. It felt like pure power. Naruto could think of no other word to describe it. As it flooded his body, he felt like he could do anything. Like he was invincible. And it wasn't the amount of the chakra that mattered. In fact, it was only a small amount. His own chakra capacity was greater. No, this chakra seemed to radiate pure power. It felt more powerful then any chakra Naruto had felt before, even old man Hokage.

Naruto was broken from his thoughts as he realized that this new chakra would mess up his jutsu. He desperately tried to call his chakra, and this new chakra, back. But it was too late, and his chakra, combined with whatever this other chakra was, erupted from Naruto's tenketsu. With spectacular results.

--

Hinata Hyuuga was sitting in her seat, almost at the back of the class, watching the blonde-haired boy she admired and loved. She was currently watching his testing, Byakugan activated. No, she was not using it for anything perverted, this time. She was actually watching Naruto's chakra system, to see if everything was alright when he didn't use the clone jutsu immediately. She saw him gathering chakra and it looked like he was about to release it into the jutsu. That was when Hinata noticed something odd. She noticed something strange about Naruto's chakra system. It was pulsing, almost violently, as it something was within it, trying to get out. Then, Naruto released his chakra to perform the jutsu.

That was when all hell broke loose.

Twin great flames of silver chakra appeared in Naruto's closed eyes. Then suddenly, an even greater silver flame appeared over the odd spiral pattern on his navel, and the silver chakra seemed to inundate Naruto's entire system as he released the jutsu. The silver chakra rushed through his tenketsu, and, through the chakra-seeing sight of the Byakugan, Hinata saw Naruto light up like a supernova. Were it not for the fact that she shut off her Byakugan immediately, Hinata was sure she- no, any Hyuuga, would have been blinded by that blast of chakra.

The outpouring of Naruto's chakra didn't stop at just a lightshow for those that could see chakra. As she turned off her doujutsu, Hinata almost shivered as a literal _wave_ of chakra washed over the entire room, dissipating on its walls and ceiling.

Hinata could tell she was not the only one to feel the effects of this shockwave as several others in the class made it known.

"What the hell was that?!" one Kiba Inuzuka yelled out.

'_Naruto-kun…'_ Hinata thought

--

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the outburst of chakra blast out of his tenketsu. And just like that, all of the strange, powerful chakra he had felt was gone as well. Without any trace of its existence.

"Naruto," Iruka started in a sad and disappointed tone, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you can pass for that display"

"What?!" Naruto yelled, spinning around at his sensei in disbelief, only to realize he hadn't created any clones.

"He's right Naruto" Mizuki said, "you just expelled all of your chakra in one burst instead of molding it into the clones. That's hardly passable"

"But it wasn't-" Naruto was about to, in a rare display of debating skill, explain that it had been a mere fluke with that weird chakra in his system, and he should be allowed a retake. But he was stopped as another rare flash of inspiration hit him.

'_I shouldn't say anything. That would just raise questions. And perhaps it might prompt Mizuki to try something. That just might make things interesting…'_

Naruto wasn't sure why he thought all those things, but he decided to go with it. It made sense for some odd reason.

"…nevermind" Naruto said, responding to his outburst only a second before. "You're right… I should've practiced more…"

Shaking his head, Iruka spoke again. "Well Naruto, I'm sorry but you fail. Better luck next year I guess"

Naruto hung his head low as he walked back to his seat, ignoring the jeers and taunts made at him by his classmates over his failure. He never noticed the Hyuuga girl silently crying in the back.

--

Naruto sat on the railing outside of his apartment, his head hung low. He had been in this state ever sense he failed the test. He had even turned down Iruka-sensei's offer for some free ramen at Ichiraku's. He had spent the rest of the day just wandering Konoha, ignoring the angry glares and avoidance he usually got. And now he just sat on the railing outside his apartment as the sun set, not sure of what to do anymore.

He had failed the academy test, for the third time. Maybe he should just quite trying to be a shinobi all together. It all seemed so… hopeless.

"Hey Naruto!" Naruto's head turned to the left as he saw his visitor landing on the railing next to him.

"Mizuki-sensei…" Naruto said, not really caring at the moment.

"Listen, Naruto" Mizuki began, "I think Iruka and I were a little hard on you today. I think you might have been able to pass"

"Doesn't matter anymore" Naruto drawled. "I still failed"

"Not necessarily I think" Mizuki said. "There may still be a way you can pass"

This had an immediate effect on Naruto as he almost fell off the railing as he spun around to look at the chunin.

"What?! You really mean it?"

"Yep. Now here's what you have to do…"

--

In his training clearing, Naruto was sitting on one of the taller boulders as he gave his narrative, Kakashi leaning next to a large boulder next to his.

"That," Naruto said as he turning to Kakashi, a smirk on his face, "Was when things got… interesting"

--

AN: Well, third chapters finally up. I've been on Squam Lake in New Hampshire for the past 2 weeks so I wasn't able to update.

And more about Naruto's odd condition has been revealed. For a visualization of some of the other Naruto's, here's how I kind of envisioned them:

The 'Evil' Naruto: Imagine Haseo's third form (.hack GU), and Axel's hair (Kingdom Hearts 2)

The 'Calm' Naruto (the one in the giant cave): Haseo's second form (.hack GU) with Jaden Yuki's hairstyle (Yu-Gi-Oh GX). I designed the cave in the same style as an Aylied ruin in 'Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion'.

The Naruto in the Mountain dream: Azure Kite's outfit, minus the hat (.hack GU), with Toushirou Hitsugaya's hair (Bleach)

(Note: I do not own any of these, they belong to Cyber Connect Corp/Square Enix/whoever owns Yu-Gi-Oh GX/Tite Kubo/Bethesda, respectively)

And if you're wondering what the hell a coujim is…

A coujim is a chair, but at the same time, it is not a chair. And it has spoons sticking out of it.

That is a coujim

Read and Review (or become the next target of the TROJAN BUNNY. Muhahahahah)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else referenced

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter IV**

**Hexapolar**

**Part 2**

**Personally, I'll Take Crazy**

--

Stealing the Forbidden scroll had been easier then Naruto had expected. In fact, it had seemed _too_ easy. Normally, Naruto would have been laughing at how easy it had been. However, this time it was different. He was thinking over what he had done. How long did he have to go over the scroll? How long would it take Sarutobi to wake up? How long until he realized the Scroll was missing? How long until ANBU was scrambled?

This was something that had Naruto confused greatly. Normally, he just acted impulsively, with no thought as to the consequences. But now… he was even wondering if he was doing the right thing. Why would stealing the Forbidden Scroll be a way to pass the genin test? And what kind of teacher would expect an academy student to learn a jutsu from a scroll that was supposedly filled with high-level dangerous techniques?

'_Wait… why am I thinking this? Mizuki-sensei said that if I did this, he'd pass me!'_

'_But what if he's lying? Too much of this doesn't make sense. And I'm just an academy student. How could he expect me to learn a high-level jutsu?'_

Naruto shook those thoughts from his head. If this kept up, he might go insane! But even still, part of him had been reluctant to steal the Forbidden scroll. Another thing that confused him was another thought that had been going through his head.

'_Sweet! I get to learn some jutsus from the FORBIDDEN SCROLL! Man, I wonder how many academy students get to do this?'_

It wasn't so much of those thoughts, as Naruto had understood that completely, it was what he had also thought of it.

'_This should give me quite an edge once I become a genin. Having a high-level jutsu would make one hell of an ace'_

Now Naruto could understand that, he just didn't normally think like that.

As he reached the shack where he was supposed to meet Mizuki-sensei, Naruto took the scroll off his back and unrolled it. Sitting down against a tree, Naruto looked at the first jutsu he saw on the scroll.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu… Aw man! More clones" he yelled out in exasperation. He couldn't even do the _normal_ bunshin jutsu. How could he do something that was even _harder_?

'_But then if I can get this jutsu down, then shouldn't everything else be easy? I mean this is probably the hardest one in the scroll for me'_

Naruto's eyes perked up at this thought. Yeah, if he could do this one, he could do ANYTHING! Filled with new determination, the blonde glanced over the jutsu description before coming to the seals. Thankfully, only one hand seal was required for the jutsu, though Naruto noticed it also required a very large amount of chakra. Nodding to himself, Naruto set the scroll down as he stood and made the cross-shaped hand seal for the technique. As he did this, he began molding his chakra like he had done for the normal bunshin, but he realized he would need a lot more to meet the requirements. Not being one for modesty, Naruto drew on as much chakra as he could, something he'd never really done before.

If he hadn't been so focused on the jutsu, Naruto would have noticed something seriously wrong. He was beginning to emit an _aura_ of sky-blue chakra, something not even some _jounin_ could do.

Naruto knew his charka control was no good, so in another rare flash of inspiration (he seemed to having these a lot lately), he realized that he'd have to compensate by using as much chakra as he could. When he was channeling as much as he possibly could, he released his molded chakra in a blast as he called out the jutsu's name.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

It was then, right then and there, that Naruto, the class clown of the academy, the prankster of Konoha and the dead last of the ninja academy… died.

--

Naruto gripped his head as voices yelled about him, calling him.

'please tell me…where are you?' came a soft, calm voice. A voice that ran through his head like running water.

"**Where are you…whelp?! Where are you?!"** came a louder, more forceful voice. A voice that seemed to burn Naruto's very ears, yet it was not painful.

"So… where are you? Can you see me? Where do you gaze from?" came a monotonous, even voice. A voice that held incredible strength, and shook Naruto's head like an earthquake.

"SO… I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE. I HOPE YOU COME OUT SOON. THAT'S WHEN THE FUN'S GOING TO START" came a cheerful, mirth-filled voice. A voice that came through Naruto's ears like a gust of calm wind.

'wHERE ARE YOU? i HAVE A CHAIR RAT FOR YOU!' came an odd sing-song voice. A voice that jolted Naruto like he had just been shocked with electricity.

Naruto clutched his head as the voices called to him again and again, trying to find his answer. A great pain assaulted him, his head seemed like it was ready to burst. All of this seemed so… alien, so different.

'where are you…?'

"**Where are you…?"**

"Where are you…?"

"WHERE ARE YOU…?"

'wHERE ARE YOU…?'

"**DESTINED CHILD?"**

The voices, Naruto knew them… They were so much like him… No… they _were_ him. This was _him_.

The pain vanished, and Naruto's hands dropped to his side. New emotions, new feelings, new thoughts, things he wouldn't have been able to _comprehend_ five minutes ago resonated through his mind.

His face set in a determined glare, Naruto called out the voices, to himself.

"I'm… RIGHT… **HERE**!"

The voices stopped, and Naruto opened his eyes to find he was still in the clearing, and that no time had passed. Raising his hand in front of his face, Naruto stared at his palm, as if trying to read some language that only he could understand. He had stared at it for only a few seconds before he clenched his hand into a fist, a smirk on his face that most would find completely alien on him.

"Orders sir?"

Naruto looked past his clenched hand to find five clones kneeling in front of him, their heads bowed. The fact that he was just successful in what should have been his most difficult technique seemed irrelevant to the blonde as he addressed the chakra constructs.

"'Sir?' You're not acting how I would have expected"

The center clone raised his head and spoke.

"You are the original. It should only be natural that we follow your orders. And what better organizational structure is there then a military order?"

"True enough" the original spoke. That did make sense, and these were his clones. It should only be natural that they think the same way as him. "Alright, one of you, take up position in the trees and watch for anyone coming. The rest of you, help me look over this scroll" He wanted someone watching for anyone coming. Before he was unsure of Mizuki's intent, but now he had an idea. He didn't know why Mizuki wanted him to steal the Forbidden scroll, but he was assuming it was something bad. Sarutobi hadn't known anything about it, that alone warranted doubt. So right now Naruto was assuming the worst case scenario. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. He knew that Sarutobi would probably be awake by now and would have scrambled a pursuit team. If his hunch was right, and Mizuki _did_ want the scroll for himself, that's when he would make his move. Most likely he was counting on Naruto's ignorance, stupidity and naïveté. But now, Naruto was anything but those. If Mizuki did make a move, Naruto would be ready for him.

"Yes sir!"

The clone to the far right ran to one of the trees pointing towards where Naruto had came from and quickly scaled it to one of the lower branches where he'd have a good view of anything coming. The other four moved with the original to the scroll and began looking over it. Smirks spread over all of their faces as they began reading. The old Naruto might not have been able to understand the true significance of what he held, but in his new, enlightened state, he understood completely. He was currently holding one of the greatest jutsu archives in the world, and he intended to make as much use of it as time allowed.

'_Mizuki, you poor fool. Let us see who is the tool now, shall we?'_

--

It was about 15 minutes later that the four clones and the original heard their counterpart yell.

"Hey guys, I think-WHAA!"

The five blondes looked to the tree only to see the sixth fall to the ground. As the clone hit the ground, he disappeared in a poof of smoke, signifying that he had been dispelled.

"Hey, I think… Whoa. Did the rest of you feel that?" Naruto said to his clones, eyes widened in realization. The clones nodded, their faces in similar states of shock. The minute the clone that fell had been dispelled, they had all been implanted with a range of knowledge. The _clone's_ knowledge. The implications of this already dawning of all of them, Naruto turned to one of the other clones. The clone nodded, understanding of what the original wanted already in its mind, and forced itself to dispel. The remaining Naruto's flinched slightly as new knowledge of what the Forbidden scroll contained flooded into their minds.

"So whatever one of us learns during our lifetime…" one of the clones began.

"…the rest of us learn when we get dispelled" another finished.

The original's lips curled into a wicked smirk as realization dawned on them, as well as the uses of this. The potential of Kage Bunshin had just gone up a hundred-fold.

His eyes widened as he remembered that the clone in the tree had seen someone coming. That was why he had been calling to the rest of them. And with the amount of time they'd spent discovering this newly found feature of Kage Bunshin, they newcomer would be on top of them any second now.

Naruto acted quickly and spoke in a low voice as he rolled up the scroll.

"The rest of you, dispel now!" the clones nodded as they vanished in a poof of smoke. Naruto flinched slightly as the memories of all they learned from the scroll were assimilated by his mind. He had learned a few useful jutsu, but he'd probably need to practice them before he could use them effectively, something Kage Bunshin would make _far_ easier. But right now he had more important things to worry about. Strapping the scroll to his back again, Naruto sat against one of the trees, feinting exhaustion. If it was Mizuki, he'd have to pretend to still be a naïve idiot. At least long enough to figure out his intentions. If they were bad, well with Kage Bunshin and the element of surprise, Naruto was confident he could take the chunin.

Needless to say, Naruto was a bit surprised when Iruka Umino leaped out of the trees and landed in front of him, with a look that said 'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!'. Oh well, he'd put up the act anyway and see where things went from there. At the very least, he could now confirm Mizuki's intentions to a degree.

"Heh, so you found me Iruka-sensei" Naruto said, scratching the back of his head and adopting the grin most people knew him for. In retrospect, Naruto didn't really like that grin anymore, but he did have an act to keep up.

Apparently, Iruka wasn't in his normal, joking mood.

"Naruto! What the hell do you think you're doing stealing the Forbidden Scroll?! Have you lost your mind?!" This only reinforced Naruto's suspensions of Mizuki, so he decided to push a bit further.

"Well, Mizuki-sensei told me that if I could get the Forbidden Scroll and learn a jutsu from it, then I could pass!" Naruto said, mimicking his old loud and obnoxious voice well, even though he was now beginning to hate his old self.

"Mizuki…? But why would he…?" Iruka now seemed extremely confused with the situation. Naruto on the other hand, almost couldn't contain the dark smirk threatening to grace his lips. That was all the confirmation he needed.

Iruka's stumbling over his words was cut off as they both heard the sound of a group of shuriken coming at them.

Now, Naruto had heard this too, and was fully capable of leaping out of the way. However, this was with his new mindset, and the fact he was entirely expecting this. As far as Iruka knew however, Naruto was a still a kind-hearted, if naïve, boy who would hardly know what to do. So he did the only thing he could think to do to save Naruto.

"Naruto! Watch out!" Naruto was already beginning to leap out of the weapons' path when Iruka violently push him. Wondering what the hell was wrong with his teacher, Naruto looked back, only to find the man pinned to the old shack by six shuriken. Some were pinning him and others merely sticking into his chest and arms.

A slight rustle caught Naruto's attention, and he whipped his head around to find Mizuki crouched on a tree on the other end of the clearing. Mizuki smirked, the supersized shuriken clanging lightly as he let out a low, short chuckle. Though neither of the chunin could see it, Naruto was growling venomously. He knew Mizuki would try something like this, but he didn't want anyone getting hurt in the process, and the fact that even if he was mentally prepared for such an eventuality, the actual sense of betrayal still stung.

Mizuki's evil smile stretched a bit, "Great job finding him…"

"_Now_, I understand," Iruka spat venomously, tugging a shuriken from his shoulder.

Mizuki's smirk dropped, and he spoke seriously, "Naruto, give me the scroll."

'_No way in hell you double-crossing bastard!'_

"No matter what, Naruto," Iruka said, pulling another weapon loose, "Don't give him the scroll! Mizuki used you to get his slimy hands on it!"

Though neither of the men could tell, Naruto had absolutely no intention of letting that happen.

Mizuki smirked evilly, speaking in a singsong voice, "Naruto, there's no point in you having it…let me tell you the truth…"

Iruka's heart stopped for a second, "NO! DON'T MIZUKI!"

Naruto ignored the pinned chunin and looked to the one in the tree.

"Oh? What secret?" he was curious what Mizuki was going to try on him. It was true that he could just be stalling, but with the possibility of ANBU showing up any minute, he doubted that, and his curiosity got the better of him.

Mizuki's evil grin widened. Now he could completely crush this brat in front of him. He could tell him how much of a _demon_ he was. What he had done to the village he supposedly loved.

"Twelve years ago, the demon fox Kyuubi was destroyed. And ever since that event, a new rule was created…a rule that everyone knows but you…because, Naruto…you were never meant to know it."

"Oh?" Naruto asked, eyes icy blue. "What rule?"

"That no one is allowed to speak of the fact," Mizuki's eyes widened excitedly. "That Kyuubi _isn't_ dead. The demon fox couldn't be killed, and so it was sealed away, in a newborn baby"

Naruto's eyes widened as his mind began piecing together this new information, and only one possibility became apparent.

Seeing Naruto's surprise, Mizuki dealt what he thought would be the final blow to the 'boy'.

"Yes. The Kyuubi lives on _inside YOU_! You ARE the Kyuubi no Kitsune!"

Naruto's mouth hung slightly open, as if he was trying to process this new revelation. Iruka hung his head in shame and sadness, now that Naruto knew that terrible secret. Mizuki decided to push things further, to rub salt in the wound he thought.

"You know? Everyone knew except those born after the attack. And they all _hate_ you! Everyone! Even Iruka there. They _despise _you!" he cackled, pointing at the pinned chunin.

"Cool"

Mizuki's and Iruka's brains promptly stopped at that statement.

"What…?" was all Mizuki could stammer, while staring at the blonde who was now wearing a small smile of pride.

"The most powerful demon in the world? Inside me? That's pretty cool, and that explains how I heal so fast. Sure it's made everyone hate me, but I don't really give a shit about them anymore. And I'll take uber demon powers over the respect of the masses any day of the week"

Mizuki was now desperately trying to put things together. He had thought this whole encounter out completely! The demon brat was supposed to take the truth with shock and terror! Not… _this_.

"Oh. I get it. You thought this out so much in your head that you can't comprehend the fact that I'm not curling up in a little ball and weeping like a little emo right now, am I right?" Naruto said, adopting an innocent and knowing smile.

From his spot on the shack, Iruka was now beginning to wonder if this was the real Naruto in front of him. He wasn't acting like he normally did at _all_.

Mizuki had now regained some of his mental processes and put together what he thought was the perfect explanation.

"Oh now I see! The seal _has_ broken! You are Kyuubi!"

Naruto expression went from knowing to confused.

"Wait a minute. Weren't you calling me Kyuubi when you thought I was still a naïve idiot? And now because I'm not you think that Kyuubi has taken over, but didn't you think I was Kyuubi before?"

"Yeah? What's your point demon?!"

Naruto's expression was quickly turning into one of shock and confusion. "And the entire village thinks the same way?"

"Yeah!" Mizuki yelled, not sure what the demon was trying.

Naruto's mouth now hung open in a look of shock, confusion and a little disgust.

"Oh my god! I live in a village of mental retards!"

"Hah! So you are the demon! You're plotting our demise right now! But now I'll end reign of terror, and get that scroll! No one will be able to stop me!"

Naruto's face shifted into one of aloof interest.

"Oh? And how are you going to do that? Aren't I the 'all powerful demon lord Kyuubi'? And aren't you some lowly chunin? How could you hope to defeat me if what you say is true?"

This stopped Mizuki's mad laugh, causing him to stutter for a second, before settling on one of his twisted lines of logic.

"Your tricks won't work on me demon! You can't fool me!" he yelled as he pulled one of the fuma shurikens from his back and hurled it at Naruto.

However, Naruto saw this coming and easily sidestepped it while making a now-familiar seal.

"No, you seem to be fooling yourself enough" he spoke as four clones poofed into appearance.

Iruka was gasping at this. Naruto had not only just done a technique that he had almost never been able to do before, he had done a far more advanced variation of it!

Mizuki though, was laughing madly.

"You think that'll make a difference, it doesn't matter if there's one or five of you! You're not even a genin!"

"Well, did you know that 85 percent of all surprise attacks come from behind?" Naruto said, his face turning into a dark knowing smirk.

Mizuki processed this information just in time to feel the rushing of air behind him. He leapt into the air to dodge a pair of flying kick from two clones.

"What?!" Mizuki yelled in alarm. The demon wasn't supposed to be this smart!

He was unable to think any further as he noticed the two clones in the tree as well as the four others and the original had thrown a hail of kunai at him, four each it seemed, each group of four from a different angle.

Luckily for him, the demon wasn't as good at throwing kunai as other things. Quickly twisting his body, Mizuki was able to dodge most of the barrage, only taking small scratches and cuts.

"You'll have to do better then that, demon!"

"How's this then?" Naruto retorted.

Mizuki's eyes widened as each and every one of the kunais was enveloped in smoke to reveal more Naruto's, each holding a quartet of shuriken or kunai. The clones smirked as they let lose their barrage of steel.

Back on the ground, Iruka was filled with shock and awe. Naruto shouldn't have been able to come up with a strategy this complex. This was a maneuver worthy of Shikamaru!

Mizuki desperately tried to dodge the assault, but there were just too many, and they seemed to be better aimed this time.

Iruka turned his head away as Mizuki was turned into a veritable pin-cushion. Naruto on the other hand, looked on with a look of indifference. His raised an eyebrow in mild surprise as he saw Mizuki's broken and bloodied body poof into a log.

Iruka was far more shocked and surprised, and he began glancing around, trying to find out where Mizuki was. His eyes widened in fear as he noticed the air begin to shimmer right behind Naruto, who was holding a kunai in his left hand, the telltale sign of a shunshin.

"NARUTO, BEHIND YOU!"

There was a flash and poof of smoke which obscured the chunin's vision. He desperately tried to free himself, fearing the worst. However, as the smoke cleared, his eyes widened further in shock, and a little fear.

The kunai in Naruto's left hand had been replaced with a long nodachi, which was skewering Mizuki through the chest. Mizuki's face was one of pure shock, while Naruto's was one of amusement.

"As I said, 85 percent of all surprise attacks come from behind" he said as his right hand reached over to the handle.

He then quickly spun around, pulling the sword from Mizuki's chest and cleanly beheaded the chunin.

--

So, what do you think?

Yes I killed Mizuki off again like in NNK, but I think I had Naruto do it in a far more badass way. That, and who like's that guy anyway?

If you're confused with how Naruto got the nodachi he killed Mizuki with, no it's not some mysterious power he randomly manifested. The kunai in his hand was just a henged Kage Bunshin. When Naruto felt Mizuki shunshin behind him, he had the clone change into a sword, which instantly impaled Mizuki.

And this pretty much explains just what kind of shinobi Naruto is going to be in this fic. He is going to be powerful but not uber-powerful. Most of his battles are going to be against people more powerful (sometimes far more) then himself (Zabuza, Kakashi, Orochimaru), so he's mainly going to rely on strategy and cunning. Also, NO KYUUBI SUPERCHARGING NARUTO FOR NO APPARENT REASON… yet. Not for a while at least. Kyuubi's power will play a role, but most of Naruto's abilities and powers will be of his own creation, using Kyuubi as a sort of power source for it all. That doesn't mean Naruto won't be using the normal demon form or conversing with Kyuubi. That will happen pretty soon.

Oh and this is going to be a NaruHina fic if you haven't figured that out yet.

As for Naruto's drastic personality change, well that won't be fully explained for a while (major plot element). At this point, even outside the flashback, Naruto doesn't fully know how it happened, but it's a positive change so he's not complaining. And he's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Read and Review please.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else referenced

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter V**

**Roku**

* * *

"After that, I told the old man the same story when he and the ANBU found us a few minutes later. You know the rest" Naruto said as he finished his narrative, still sitting atop the boulder.

Kakashi let out a low whistle. That was _quite_ the story. But it had also raised a few questions of its own.

"So what exactly were those voices then?"

Naruto adopted a thoughtful expression as he looked up at the sun, which was beginning to fall towards the horizon.

"To put it bluntly, they're other personas within me"

"Huh?" was all Kakashi could reply to that.

"Well, how should I put this? You know what it's like when someone's bipolar right? When someone has two different personalities?"

"Yeah… "

"Well, I suppose you could call me… Hexapolar"

"What… does that mean you have like, five other personalities?" Kakashi asked. So the kid was not only creating new shinobi techniques, he was making his own mental disorders?

"Pretty much. Don't worry, unlike other people with multiple personalities, I actually have control over these other personalities… usually. And they're not really other personalities, they're more like the embodiments of my base emotions"

"Okay… what are they then?" Kakashi wasn't exactly following Naruto on this, but he decided he'd just take his student's word for it. After all, Naruto seemed to be sane enough, as much as one could be in the shinobi world anyway.

"Well there're six that I know of so far" Holding up one finger for emphasis, Naruto continued. "The first one, Antharos, embodies all of my rage, anger, bloodlust, stuff like that. He's basically a sociopathic pyromaniac who spends his time plotting world domination and telling me to go kill and/or blow up random stuff and/or people"

"So he's…"

"Yeah, he's where the 'Burn Konoha to the soil' thing came from" Naruto continued in a board tone like it was nothing unordinary, and to him it probably wasn't.

"The second one I've dubbed 'Varsee'. He makes up kindness, compassion, love, yadda yadda yadda. But he also embodies sadness and indecision, so as you can imagine I've had him suppressed for a while"

Kakashi nodded. From what he had heard, Naruto's life was pretty hard before this. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that he would have suppressed any feelings of fear or sadness.

"Next one I've got is Zechs. He's pretty much the tactician of our little group. He's calm, cool, level-headed. Stuff like that. Always wanting to think things out before acting. But he also represents any feelings of rest, being laid back, mello, you know. Basically he's a lazy bastard with an IQ of about 250. He's one of those I listen to more then others"

Kakashi chuckled a little at that. Figures that had been the main reason Naruto wasn't a hyperactive idiot anymore.

"After that is probably the last remaining fragment of my former self, Xenos. He's not exactly hyper-active, but he is free-spirited, a bit hyper, fun-loving, basically the prankster of the group. He loves annoying Antharos, at least until the pyro tries to barbecue him again"

A small sweatdrop appeared on Kakashi's head as he tried to visualize Naruto's personalities interacting with each other.

"Lastly is well, the crazy one" Naruto said as he seemed to be becoming exasperated or something like that. "His name is Drak and he is… well, completely nuts. If he does embody anything, its complete randomness and insanity. So yes, he's the reason we were throwing random crap at you and the Trojan bunny thing. He is rather funny though, and it is kind of fun to go nuts for a little while sometimes. So does that answer your question?"

"Pretty much" Kakashi said, nodding. "But do you have any idea _what_ exactly happened that night to cause this?" after all, Naruto still hadn't mentioned that particular detail.

"I… don't know" Naruto said, shrugging. "I've certainly come up with a few ideas, but nothing really concrete. But I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I've just decided to go with it. Make the best out of what life throws at you, you know?"

Kakashi could only nod in agreement.

Kakashi was now staring up at his new student, as if trying to read something in him. Never before had he had a student like this. Hell, he'd never _met_ a shinobi that even came close to resembling the blonde.

But that was probably a good thing. Over the past few hours, Kakashi had gotten exactly what he had come here for. An evaluation of his student's skill level, and more importantly, how his mind worked. And from what the blonde had told him, Kakashi in all honesty liked what he saw. He could see that not only did Naruto have nigh-_limitless_ potential as a shinobi, but he also had the mindset to go with it. He held human life in regard, but wasn't afraid to kill. He had his morals, but could quickly bury them for the good of the mission. In the end, Naruto had the mindset that most shinobi don't get until they hit _jounin_. All in all, Naruto would fit into the shinobi world perfectly.

"Well, thanks for your time" Kakashi said as he stepped away from the rock he had been leaning against. "But I need to get going. I'd say I'm way overdue for the genin evaluation for Hokage-sama"

"Really? Cause from what I can tell, you'd be heading there right about now even if you hadn't come here" Naruto said with a teasing grin.

Kakashi chuckled "Yeah I suppose you got me on that one" That kid was more perceptive then he thought.

"Anyway, since you left before I could tell you, we're meeting at training ground 7 tomorrow at 8:00 a.m."

"Does that include the three hour delay you're going to give us?"

"I'm hurt" Kakashi said with in a faux sad tone. "Do you really have that low of an opinion of your sensei?"

Naruto gazed upward in a thoughtful expression as if he were pondering that question before reverting back to his grin. "Yeah. Pretty much"

Kakashi chuckled again. He was going to enjoy working with this kid.

"Well then, I'd say you're smart enough to figure that out for yourself" he replied as he turned around and began to walk out of the clearing. Naruto himself jumped down from the boulder and started walking towards the waterfall to join his clones.

"Hey Naruto" the blonde turned back to his sensei just in time to catch two small scrolls that had been tossed to him. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he looked to his sensei from elaboration.

"Since you already know Kage Bunshin, I thought those two would come in handy for you. And I'm pretty sure you didn't find them in the Forbidden Scroll"

Looking closely at the labels, a pseudo-evil smirk spread across Naruto's face.

"Yes… I think they will. Thanks sensei" he replied, looking back to the silver-haired jounin. Simply nodding, Kakashi made a ram seal before 'poofing' away.

'_He'll go far. I know it'_ Kakashi thought to himself as he reappeared out side the Hokage tower. _'But I wonder… what will he do about that _other_ eavesdropper?'_

* * *

'_Bunshin Daibakuha and Shuriken Kage Bunshin eh?'_ Naruto thought to himself as he passed the scrolls off to a Jango and a Kadmus team leaders respectively. _'Those'll come in handy'_

But it was also time to deal with the _other_ eavesdropper. He wasn't exactly sure why he had had his picket lines let her through, but he supposed it was because he just wanted someone to talk to in his age group that didn't hate him.

"You can come out now… Hinata"

* * *

And so the NaruHina-ness begins.

Yeah, I know this is a short chapter. Don't worry, chapter 6 will be up in short order.

And like I said in the summary, a Naruto never seen before. And the other personas will play a role in Naruto's mindscape, as well as in actual combat (eventually).


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else referenced

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

"_Naruto"_-Normal thought

**Chapter VI**

**Ride With the Sun**

* * *

Hinata Hyuuga had been sitting up in a tree on the edge of the clearing for some time now. After finishing Kurenai-sensei's test, she had immediately sought out Naruto.

She _had_ to know. What had happened to him? Even though their sensei's hadn't noticed it, almost everyone in their class was wondering what had happened to the blonde ever since his display the day before at the team assignments.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_20 Hours earlier._

Hinata sat in her usual seat at the back of the class, head held low. Her pale white eyes were dark and half lidded. Small, nigh-invisible lines ran down her face from her eyes, proof to any that looked close enough that she had been crying recently, not that anyone ever did take a moment to do that. She was still coming to grips with one, undeniable fact.

She was never going to see him again.

Naruto had failed that day. He wouldn't become genin like the rest of them. He'd have to take the class again, and she'd never see him again. That night a week before, she had cried herself to sleep, and the night after, and the night after that. She had ignored the normal harsh words of her father Hiashi, who had berated her for not finishing at the top of her class, that a Hyuuga should not show emotion so flippantly as he had called it. She had almost lost her self-control at that remark. How _dare_ he call her show of emotion _flippant_ when she was weeping over the fact that the boy she loved might never realize his life-long dream.

She had come to grips with it far better now that she had time to think about it, but she could do no more then accept the grim reality of the fact.

Occasionally, her eyes would dart upwards whenever she heard the door to the classroom open. A testament to her hope, even though she knew it was hopeless, that she might see the boy who meant everything to her walk through. He was her inspiration, her goal, the very light of her world. An ironic statement to make considering the meaning her name.

As she heard the door open again, she almost looked up, but decided against it, knowing in her heart that it wouldn't, and never would be, Naruto-kun.

But she was surprised when she heard one of her classmates, one Kiba Inuzuka, speak up.

"Hey! What's _he_ doing here?! Dead-lasts don't belong here!"

Curious, and even slightly hopeful, Hinata raised her head to look at whoever had just walked in. Even though she knew that fate itself seemed to have conspired against her. But the next words she heard shattered such a prospect.

"Well if that's how you think then I suppose you should get out of here then, ya hypocrite"

Hinata looked over to Kiba whose eyes were wide and mouth hanging wide open. Turning her head to the front of the class, Hinata's eyes widened further in a combination of shock, happiness and incomprehension.

There, standing at the front of the class, an uncharacteristic smirk adorning his face… was Naruto.

But it was not the Naruto she knew, and if she wasn't so shocked, she might be thinking that it was a better Naruto. The hideous orange jumpsuit was gone, and in its place was a simple black T-shirt and plain black pants with his headband tied around his neck. His pose was also far different. Instead of a rigid, coiled-spring-like pose like he normally had, he was partially hunched over with his hands in his pockets. More like Shikamaru if she had to describe it.

His tone and speech were far different. Normally, he would respond to Kiba's taunts with a brash or boastful counter that would in all seriousness make him look like a loud annoying idiot. This time, he had simply turned the taunt right back on the dog boy, and had spoken in a calm, slightly annoyed tone.

But by far the biggest change of all, were his eyes.

Physically, his eyes were the same as ever. It was what Hinata _saw_ in the boy's eyes that made her shiver; whether in fear or excitement she couldn't tell.

Before, his eyes had held a blind happiness, a great light that shined outward. They had been like twin gleaming stars, blazing light out to all around them. Now, they were different. Naruto's eyes were dark, but not guarded like one would expect. They held a dark look of confidence and superiority. At the same time tempting, as if challenging all who looked upon them to prove themselves. Instead of twin gleaming stars, they were like twin orbs of blue fire, their great heat thrusting outwards and threatening to consume all. As Hinata gazed into them, even from afar, she feared she might lose herself in those azure flames, but at the same time, she would like nothing more then that.

But then, as Naruto's smirk disappeared, and he settled back into that lazy posture, Hinata saw his eyes change again. This time, they held a look of not confidence, but of indifference and uncaring. Not only that, but they held a look of wisdom and observation, as if he was an invisible specter observing the goings-on of the world from afar. Instead of the blue flames from before, Naruto's eyes were like twin azure crystals. And in whose reflection, everything you were was shown to you, good and bad. And what Hinata saw, was herself, her wrongs, her rights, everything. It was if he had learned everything about her just by meeting her gaze.

Hinata's drastic observations were stopped as her Naruto's eyes left her gaze, and the spell they cast on her was broken. Again, she shivered, but this time, she knew exactly what it was. It was because it was gone.

Naruto lazily walked up one of the aisles, ignoring the glances that ranged from curious to 'WTF?'. Finding a seat near the top, he sat down, leaning back in the chair, hand behind his head and eyes closed. A voice from his left drew his attention, but not enough for him to openly acknowledge it.

"You know, you never did answer his question" said Shikamaru Nara, himself in a similarly reclined position, seemingly unfazed by the complete 180 Naruto's personality had taken.

Opening one of his eyes and fixing Shikamaru with a critical gaze, Naruto replied in something no one would have expected.

"Melon"

Now almost everyone who heard it was thinking if Naruto had somehow lost his grip on sanity. But it was what happened next that really messed with everyone's head.

"No. No melon" Shikamaru replied, returning the critical gaze.

Naruto's gaze shifted to the ceiling as he seemed to be contemplating something before looking back to the Nara.

"Desk then?"

"No" was Shikamaru's reply

"Fig?"

"No"

"Crumpets?"

"Are you nuts?"

"Good point"

As Naruto continued to suggest random objects to Shikamaru for no apparent reason, only to have them shot down for an even less apparent reason, most everyone in the classroom was wondering much the same thing.

'_WTFH?!'_

"How about tree?"

Shikamaru tapped his chin as he thought about it.

"What _kind_ of tree?" he replied.

"Spruce"

"Yes then. You can have tree"

"Yay!" Naruto said in a semi-high-pitched tone, yet still retaining the same volume level while holding his right hand fingers in the victory sign. He then seemed to instantly revert to his lazy and indifferent state.

Silence rained as people tried to process what the hell just happened. That silence was broken as Naruto spoke up.

"What about shoe?"

"No. No shoe for you"

"Dammit"

While everyone was wondering was pondering what had made the two boys lose their grip on sanity and what they might do next (something most everyone was now fearing), at the back of the class, one Shino Aburame was thinking something a bit different.

'_Spruce? I would have preferred pine. LALALALALALALA __**I LIKE PANCAKES**__ LALALALALALALA... note-to-self, stop eating the paint chips …and increase medication'_

Silence rained in the classroom as the majority of its occupants tried to process what had just occurred, and whether or not it was really _Naruto_ in that seat. It was just… incomprehensible. There was no term to describe what had just happened, other then pure, unadulterated insanity maybe.

Thankfully for everyone, a since of normalcy returned as the two most _enthusiastic_ members of Sasuke's fanclub burst through the door.

"Ha! Take that Ino-Pig! I got here first!"

"Fat chance, Forehead-chan! My foot was obviously ahead of yours! I get to sit with Sasuke-kun!"

"Like hell, pig! I'm going to sit with Sasuke-kun!"

"Neither of you will, _**I**_ am going to sit with Sasuke-kun!"

This quickly ignited the usual scramble by most females in the room to the coveted 'seat next to Sasuke'.

Though through all of the chaotic screaming and the sound of feet running up/down wooden stairs, few noticed a quiet and subdued conversation taking place. Though the whole reason for it being subdued was the fact that its participants preferred to speak softly. They had sensitive ears.

"You know, have you ever noticed that not one of them seems to ever realize that there are _two _seats next to Sasuke?" spoke Naruto, having closed his eyes in a now-vain attempt to sleep.

"Yeah. It never ceases to amaze me how they hope to become shinobi with that amount of common sense" Shikamaru replied in a similar position.

"Indeed. But if you think about it, it's only fitting. If they did have the common sense to realize that, they probably would devised a far more effective strategy of winning his favor. Or have actually realized the futility of pursuing him in the first place. But then again, I suppose that is the fate of those of lesser mind"

Shikamaru cocked his head in mild curiosity.

"Since when did you become so philosophical?"

"Since last week. And I'm a bit more surprised that you're not surprised that I'm no longer among the more… annoying… group of our peers" Naruto replied.

"Meh. So your personality did a 180. Stranger things have happened. And you're not an annoying idiot anymore and I finally have someone to have an intellectual discussion with. No offense Chouji" the young Nara answered while glancing over to the chub-(evil Chouji glare)… er… I mean 'big boned' boy to his right.

"None taken" was Chouji's answer, having decided to follow Shikamaru's example concerning Naruto's apparent change and just go with it.

"And concerning your last statement, I don't believe that they actually qualify as our 'peers'. Remember, the dictionary defines 'peer' as someone of equal standing to yourself whom you do not know well or are not acquainted with. I highly doubt that those fighting over the seat next to Sasuke could come even close to filling the former of those requirements"

"True enough" Naruto agreed with a nod. "Though it truly is a pity that those such as them even graduated the academy. I wouldn't rate their life-expectancy very high once they become genin"

"Agreed. In a way, it's actually too bad we're not in a war. If we were, then they would've been dropped from the program long ago" was Shikamaru's reply.

"Yep. They give kunoichi in general a bad name. Hell, they give ninja in general a bad name"

"Indeed" came the stoic agreement of Shino from the row behind them.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Shikamaru asked, turning his head slightly.

Turning to the Nara, Shino replied, "Since the beginning of time"

Shikamaru seemed to be pondering that, while at the same time trying to come up with some reply before quickly retorting.

"Well… your mom!"

Shino raised an eyebrow before retaliating.

"Your face!"

"Your FOOT!" came Naruto's skillfully timed and choreographed surprise attack.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Shikamaru, Chouji decided to save what was left of his sanity by fleeing to his 'happy place'.

* * *

It was this scene that Iruka walked in on 30 minutes later. The Sasuke-fangirls continued their never ending struggle for the coveted 'seat next to Sasuke-kun', never noticing the seat on the other side of him. And while random expendable characters continued to have meaningless and insignificant conversations, Naruto seemed to be embroiled in an intellectual conversation with Shikamaru and bug-man-er, Shino.

(With those three)

"You know, it could be carried by an African swallow" Shikamaru said.

"Well yes, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow, that's my point" was Naruto's reply.

"But then again, African swallows are non-migratory" Shikamaru brought up.

"Yes, true"

"Wait a minute, what if _two_ swallows carried it?" Shino spoke up.

"Oh now that's just silly"

(Meanwhile, on the other side of Shikamaru)

'_Find my happy place. Find my happy place. Find my happy place. Find my happy place. WHERE ARE YOU HAPPY PLACE?!!' _

Perhaps it was better that they were too far away for many people to hear.

Iruka was about to get everyone's attention with his signature 'Big Headed Teacher' jutsu, when Naruto accomplished that task for him.

"You know what?! Screw all this!" Naruto said as he stood up, apparently having come to an impasse with his conversation with Shino and Shikamaru. "Let's just find some coconuts and some swallows and just make a big pie out of them! Happy?" he seemed to say to Shikamaru and Shino who seemed to be considering this as if it were an actual intelligent discussion and not something completely retarded (though Iruka might be thinking differently if he had actually _heard_ their conversation (though that in itself is arguable)). Then Naruto noticed that everyone was looking at him like he had just proclaimed himself to be the son of the Yondaime, container of Kyuubi no Kitsune, and reincarnation of the Rokudo sennin (again). His eyes darting around, Naruto quickly pointed to the front of the room.

"Look! A distraction! Oh, hi Iruka-sensei" he said as he noticed the chunin and waved as if nothing was wrong and sat back down next to Shikamaru who looked in a similar state, while Chouji looked to be in the midst of a seizure.

"Okay then…" Iruka started, decided to simply not ask. "Now, if you're here, that means that you've passed the Genin exam. Congratulations. You've just begun your foray into the world of being a Shinobi, and things are only going to get harder from here."

Naruto tuned Iruka out for a few minutes, just barely hearing him give some sort of speech on responsibilities and hardships that they would now be enduring for the 'good of Konoha' or some such thing. Naruto smirked to himself for a moment. The thought of him doing something for the 'good of Konoha' was almost laughable at this point. He allowed himself to drift off slightly, but he immediately perked up at the mention of team assignments. They went through a few teams, skipping over a few numbers, because those teams already existed, until Naruto heard his name called.

"Team 7! Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno…"

At this, everyone in the room expected Naruto jump for joy, and Sakura to groan in disappointment. However everyone was shocked (though in retrospect, many should have seen this coming all thing considered), even Iruka, at hearing Naruto's reaction.

"Crap"

At least Sakura's groan of annoyance was a welcome norm.

"…and Sasuke Uchiha."

A sense of normalcy reigned in the room once again, at seeing Sakura squeal in delight, and Naruto cursing even louder. Naruto may have thought Sasuke was an ok person, but it didn't change the fact that he was a stuck up, arrogant, emo bastard. Being forced to be on the same team as him was going to be… troublesome to quote Shikamaru. Really, _really_ troublesome.

Soon, the rest of the teams were called, and the jounin sensei's began to file in to collect their new charges. When Team 10 was called by their sensei, Asuma, Shikamaru gave Naruto a pat on the shoulder as he got up.

"Good luck"

"Thanks. Hopefully I'll stay sane long enough to get them killed. Then at least I can regress"

The young Nara chuckled at his friend's grave misfortune as he left.

_End Flashback_

* * *

Ever since then, Hinata had not been able to shake that feeling. That feeling of loss. That feeling had since given way to a new one. A desire. A desire that had burned away her shyness. That day, she knew Naruto had changed, like everyone else did, but only she knew just _how much_. When she had stared into his eyes, the shiver that she felt, the tempting lure it had given off. But not only that. The way his eyes looked after that, how they seemed like perfect crystals. Hinata now knew… there was more to Naruto then anyone could ever have imagined.

And she wanted to know.

That desire. The desire to know the true Naruto. Who he really was. Just who was it behind those azure eyes that could change almost fundamentally in an instant. Hinata could tell by looking, that his personality hadn't just changed _before_ he came to the team assignments. It had changed fundamentally even after he entered the classroom. The way his eyes had changed, from a raging fire, to a solid crystal. And sometimes, when he had been talking to Shikamaru and Shino, she had seen his eyes change again. Instead of a heated flame or gleaming crystal, they were like sparks of blue lightning leaping across his eyes, random, uncontrollable. Normally, Hinata would have attributed such things to complete insanity. But there was something different about this. Naruto outward personality had hardly changed a bit. Sure he had acted a bit odd and random, but it was controlled.

And then there was what Hinata saw _behind_ those eyes. It is said that the eyes are a window to person's soul, and the Hyuugas had long since perfected the art of reading people through those windows to the soul. And Hinata had gotten very adept and reading Naruto, all those times she had looked into his eyes from afar. Before, Naruto's soul had been just like any other. But now, it was like nothing Hinata had ever seen before, or even _imagined_. In the split second when Naruto's eyes shifted from the azure flames to the azure crystals, Hinata believed she had caught a glimpse Naruto's true soul. What she had seen, was nothing less then compete chaos. But at the same time, perfect order. A raging maelstrom, chaotic and uncontrollable. And yet, spinning in a perfect spiral. Never leaving its defined route. Naruto's soul could only be described as ordered chaos.

And that was where the new desire came from.

Hinata wished to _know_. She wanted to know who this new, this _real_ Naruto was. He seemed… so much more then the Naruto she thought she knew. The old Naruto was just a boy, this new Naruto seemed… inhuman. As if he had somehow transcended humanity itself.

Yesterday, she hadn't been able to find him, her father had wanted another test on her performance after her meeting with her new team. Today however, after her genin test, she had asked Kurenai-sensei where Team Seven was meeting. Though curious, her sensei had told her. She had briefly worried that her new teammates (namely Kiba) might try and follow her, to see why she was so interested in Team 7, her affections of Naruto were known to only a few in her class. Thankfully, Shino was one of those few, and had held the dog-boy back.

She had arrived just in time to see Naruto leave, with her close behind, though not enough to be seen. She had long ago perfected the art of Naruto-stalking, though she had perfected it against the old Naruto. The new Naruto might not be so easy to fool. But it seemed to work. She had followed him to a very secluded area on top of the Hokage Monument, his training area she had realized.

The Hyuuga heiress had been surprised to find that she had not been the only one following Naruto. But to see his sensei following him was no surprise she supposed, as he might be curious as to Naruto's change too. And so she had charged her ears with chakra to listen to what they were talking about.

Needless to say, she almost blew her cover several times in shock.

Now, almost four hours later, Hinata had had her entire conception of Naruto turned on its head, and yet, she only admired and respected him even more because of it. She had almost begun weeping in sympathy when he had talked about how he was the container of Kyuubi no Kitsune and how she had realized how hard his life must have been. Coincidentally, she found her respect and loyalty for the village dropping considerably, as she knew his already had.

She now knew that her feelings for him were no passing crush like those fangirls had for Sasuke. Her feelings for him were genuine. Whether or not he would ever return them, she didn't know, but she did hope beyond hope that he would. But he didn't even know her, hell he didn't even know that she knew this much about him.

Or so she thought

* * *

"You can come out now… Hinata"

A small smile came to Naruto's face as he heard a soft 'eep' sound come from behind him on the edge of the clearing.

Shaking his head in amusement, he turned around to where he knew the sound had come from, and where its originator was hiding, a mirth filled grin spreading on his face.

"I know you're there. So either you come out or we drag you out"

Behind the tree, Hinata's breathing had gone into overdrive. He _knew_. He knew she was there. Suddenly, that desire to know what made the object of her affections tick seemed to vanish, replaced by her normal shyness. Even though he knew she was there, she just couldn't bring herself to face him. Part of her just wished he'd just ignore her and let her go.

'_Wait, what did he mean by 'we'?'_

"He means us if you're wondering"

Hinata looked up, her eyes wide, to find several Naruto's standing in the trees behind her own.

"H-How d-did… y-you…"

"Know you were here?" Hinata felt like she jumped a few _feet_ up when she heard a voice behind her.

Glancing back to the clearing, she found herself gazing into those infinite blue orbs once again. But this time, they held neither the all-consuming flames, nor the all-seeing crystals, nor the uncontrollable lightning. No, this time it was if she was staring into a pair of cyclones. She almost felt herself getting dizzy as she gazed into their depths. And these blue cyclones, it was as if they held the very wind itself. Freedom, happiness, mirth, all of these and more seemed to be thrust out at her from those eyes.

It made her almost disappointed that his words broke her from that spell.

Taking her silence as a yes, Naruto continued. "Well, you heard what I told Kakashi-sensei right? My recon clones can see through ANBU level concealment techniques. You didn't even come close to sneaking past these guys" he explained, gesturing to the clones in the trees, who were nodding to themselves in self-satisfaction.

Hinata was broken from the spell his eyes cast on her just enough to hear what he said. And while she was disheartened to hear how badly she had failed at her hiding skill, she was more concentrated at analyzing the boy in front of her. Naruto's currant poise was nothing like what she had seen the day before. While it was little laid back and still held some of the tempting air and random tendency, it mainly was filled with mirth and amusement. His eyes seemed to shine with mirth and combined with an amused half-grin on his face, he practically _radiated_ it. Hinata was quickly feeling her lips curl up in a smile of her own. He must have been contagious. But it was what he said next that amazed her.

"But I will say, for a genin, that was a pretty good concealment. I don't think anyone else in the class had one that good, I think it might even be a little better then my own"

Her pale eyes widened at this. Naruto… had just _complimented_ her? He had just said her efforts weren't a complete failure? He had even said they were as good as his own? Surly he had to be just saying that.

"No… It really isn't that good. You don't have to try to make me feel better like that" that was odd… She had just said that without a single stutter…

Naruto raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he tried to process what the girl in front of him meant.

"You think I'm lying just to make you feel better? Listen Hinata, I don't do that"

Now Hinata's eyebrows rose as she tried to process what the boy in front of her meant.

"Hey, feeding someone false information, even if it is for good intentions, never does any good, that's what I say. If they've done something wrong, you should tell them what they did wrong so they won't do it again. I mean, if you don't know what you did wrong, then you're just going to repeat it. Don't you agree?"

Now Hinata's eyes were wide with wonder. It _did_ make sense what he was saying. And if he was right… then he wasn't just lying to make her feel better? She was actually doing something good? It was at that point that her normal shyness took over.

"Yeah… I guess you're right…" even though she seemed to have suddenly gotten over her stutter, she was still having trouble talking to the boy she secretly loved. "Um… I, uh… have to get going" with that she turned to leave.

But Naruto wasn't having any of that.

"Oh no you don't"

Grabbing Hinata's wrist Naruto yanked her towards him and started pulling her out into the clearing.

"N-Naruto-kun?! W-What are you…?"

"Hey, I know you came here to talk to me, and if your own shyness is going to get in the way of that, then I'll just have to help you that now won't I?" he said while flashing her a grin she found eerily similar to his characteristic grin from before his change.

Why was he doing this she wondered? Why was he going out of his way to help her like this?

Meanwhile, even though he didn't show it, Naruto himself was pondering that same question.

Why _was_ he doing this? After all, he hardly knew Hinata. So why did he even allow her past the picket lines of recon clones he set up around his training area? Why did he allow her to listen in on his conversation with Kakashi? What had she done to become worthy of knowing that information? It didn't take long for his mind to remind him of the answer to that question.

She had been kind to him.

Out of all of his classmates, who had either shunned him, been mean or cruel to him, or in rare cases been merely indifferent, heck not just his class, the _whole village_, Hinata had been the only one to show true kindness towards him. He may not have noticed her before the 'Awakening', as he was now calling the events that lead to him becoming a genin, but now… things were different.

Really, it wasn't like the shy girl was the first thing on his mind after the incident. It wasn't until the genin assignments that he had begun to see what set her apart from all the rest. And even then, it was merely by chance at that.

As he had predicted, his entry into the genin assignment room had caused quite a stir. He had also been ready with a remark to any outburst that would leave pretty much everyone in shock.

Humans are such predictable creatures after all.

But it was after that, when he had been observing the stunned and disbelieving reactions of his peers with his own pseudo-sadistic satisfaction (courtesy of Antharos) when, purely by chance, his eyes landed on her.

At first, he thought she was just as stunned as everyone else, but as he began to shift to Zech's uncaring indifference, he noticed something else in her eyes. Something he didn't quite believe at first.

Concern.

At first, he thought he might have been seeing things, but that was soon crushed by Zechs's indifference and his own. The idea that someone else could show concern for him wasn't shocking at all, not because he might have expected it thanks to the naiveté of his former self, but rather it was that after the Awakening, he found that it was extremely difficult for him to be shocked by anything. Sure he might not have been expecting something to happen, it was just that he could now accept new information far more easily, a trait he knew would come in very handy as a shinobi. He didn't know for sure whether or not he was seeing things or not, but he was able to test the theory. While his whole conversation with Shikamaru and Shino may have been partly for his own amusement in messing with the heads of everyone else (and what fun it was seeing them squirm like that), throughout the entire conversation (a very informative and intellectual conversation in his mind, or maybe Drak's perhaps), he would occasionally glance to Hinata. Not enough for anyone to notice, but enough to get a reading on her emotions. While everyone else near the trio had been in states of shock, disbelief and general 'WTF?', Hinata's had been different. While her expression still held shock, it had also held a look of curiosity, as well as wonder and, even though he was unsure of this, a small bit of admiration.

Needless to say, it gave Naruto a lot to think about after he had met with his so-called 'team'. Speaking of His Pompous-ness, King Emo with the Bijuu-sized ego and his annoying bi-polar bitch of a fangirl with O.C.D. and a broken mute button, he'd have to put them in their places, Antharos and Zechs would see to that. At least Kakashi seemed like someone he could get along with.

What was he thinking about before? Oh yeah; Hinata. The night before, Naruto had spent a little while thinking over what he had seen in that room. Why would Hinata show concern for him? That question lead him to think over what he knew about the girl. After all, it wasn't like he had lost his memories of his life before the awakening. All of his memories were still there, he just needed to go over them with his new, critical eye/mind. And what he had found in his memories was… interesting… to say the least.

For almost his entire time at the academy, she had been there, watching him. Not like Sasuke's fangirls (though an easy connection to make it certainly was), she had been standing on the side lines, watching him throughout the years at the academy, and through all of his memories of her, there was always expressions on her face that shared a commonality.

How her eyes were filled concern whenever he seemed about to fail a test. How they were filled with sympathy when he did fail. How they were filled with happiness when he passed a test or did something well. How they would be filled with a flash of anger whenever he was being picked on or teased. Although these were only scattered memories, they were more then enough to give Naruto his answer.

Hinata cared for him.

He wasn't sure as to why she would like _him_ of all people, but he had figured out why she hadn't approached him sooner. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Hinata was indecisive and shy. Now while Naruto did think that was a bad quality to have, he also knew that it was nothing that couldn't be helped. And in his mind, the best way to start would be to start helping her break out of that shell she seemed to have erected around herself.

By the time the two genin reached the large boulder in the middle of the clearing, Naruto had released Hinata who was now following him. Hopping up onto the boulder with a chakra enhanced jump, Naruto reached down to help Hinata up. That action alone made her cheeks flush red.

Desperately hoping that he wouldn't notice, Hinata instead opted to follow his example and leapt up next to him on the boulder with her own chakra enhanced jump. But just as she landed, she regretted it. She hadn't taken Naruto-kun's offer to help her… he must hate her now.

"Whoa. So you know how to enhance your jumps with chakra? I'd say that's pretty impressive for someone just out of the academy"

Hinata's eyes widened. Had she just impressed him again? No… he had to be mistaken.

"N-No. It's nothing special. I mean… You can do it too" she spoke, her familiar stutter seemed to be leaving again.

"Well yeah," Naruto replied, "but I doubt very many others from our class can do that yet. My own so-called teammates sure as hell can't"

"Sasuke-san? But isn't he the rookie of the year?" Hinata replied, a bit shocked but more trying to support her own self-demeaning beliefs.

"Well then, I'd say he's a bit undeserving of that title. If anything, I'd say either of us could kick his ass if we wanted to" he shot back with a confident grin that made Hinata shiver slightly.

"N-No… I could never…" Hinata tried to compile some kind of answer to what Naruto had said. She could never do that. Sasuke was the rookie of the year, and even though she wasn't part of his fanclub (she shivered in fear at the thought of that) she did acknowledge the fact that he was probably the most skilled of their class, apart from Naruto-kun after his change of course. She was not so blindly faithful to have believed that Naruto was unbeatable like Sasuke's fanclub thought of the Uchiha. But she did know that Naruto had become far stronger then any of them in the week following the graduation exam.

Sighing, Naruto sat down, motioning Hinata to do the same. "You know something Hinata, you really shouldn't think so badly of yourself" he said in a soft voice as he stared out at the sun that was now beginning to dip lower towards the horizon. His voice had lost most of its mirth and he now spoke with a kind wisdom.

Hinata's eyes widened slightly as she sat down. She had nothing to say to that. She knew it was true, but she just…

"I-I know… I just… I can't…"

"You can't what?" Naruto asked as he turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with sage-like wisdom and full of a kind of caring Hinata couldn't place. "Look Hinata, I know you came here for answers about my changes, and now you have them. But we both know that's not all you came here to do"

Hinata looked down, almost in shame, as she thought how right he was. She hadn't just come here to get answers. She came here to _talk_ to Naruto. She wanted not just to get answers, but to get to know Naruto. To finally overcome her shyness and maybe at last try to be his friend. But now… wasn't she accomplishing just that?

"You know something Hinata?" Naruto began, his voice beginning to fill with mirth again, "You're a lot stronger then you may think. You probably could have come out at the top of the class, higher then even Sasuke. Higher then even me since I hadn't changed at that point"

Hinata was about to contradict that, saying that she wasn't anything special, that she was just a failure, but Naruto didn't allow her to.

Raising a hand to tell her to stop, he continued, his eyes darkening slightly, yet still filled with caring and mirth. It was a very strange and yet at the same time intriguing.

"Don't say it. Don't say that you're nothing special, that you're just a failure. Don't say it. Don't _think_ it. Don't think that you're a failure, because you're _not_. You have far more potential then you know Hinata. I remember how you did in the academy, and from what I saw you are anything _but_ a failure. You could easily learn information and did well on tests. I can tell that you're probably as smart as Sakura, smarter even, since you're thoughts aren't clouded by some pointless mockery of what one would call affection or love. In the taijutsu courses, you showed amazing flexibility and coordination, far more then anyone else. You could do far more then you know, you have all the makings of a great shinobi. The only thing holding you back… is that self-demeaning attitude of yours. And why do you think that anyway? Why should you think so little of yourself? Why would you be a failure? Sure you're shy, and a bit indecisive, but think of the positives. You're from one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha, you have one of the most powerful bloodlines in the world, and you can _use_ it, unlike Sasuke. You have the strength, the smarts, and the power to be a great kunoichi. So why Hinata? Why _do_ you think you're a failure?" he spoke in that voice full of wisdom and that strange care.

Hinata was awestruck. Normally, she would have simply accepted what Naruto was saying as more berating, that it was her shyness that made her a failure. But it was the _tone_ and the _way_ he said it that made all the difference. He was asking it like he already knew the answer, as if this was some kind of test for her. No… not a test. He wasn't the one who needed to ask this question, he wanted her to ask _herself_ that question. Why? Why was she a failure. They answer came to her quickly.

"Well… my father said that…" she spoke softly as she drooped her head down.

"Your father?" Naruto asked, his eyes widened slightly and a small but obvious bit of concern in his voice. "Your father was the reason why you're a failure?"

"N-No. He was the one who told me"

Now Naruto's eyes widened further with surprise. They quickly began to harden though as he spoke, his voiced laced with curiosity, but with an underlying tone of venom, as if waiting to be let loose. "Your father… thinks you're a failure…" Hinata nodded. "And that's why you think you're a failure? Because your father thinks so?" she nodded again.

Naruto's eyes had now hardened completely, and were dark but still held that strange care, though the mirth was gone completely. He turned his head forward again and gazed out at the sun.

"Why?" Hinata looked up as he spoke. "Why does he think you're a failure?"

"It… It's a long story" she said, hoping to deter him, even if in her heart, she knew that was impossible. Especially since part of her _wanted _to tell him. To tell anyone really.

"I got plenty of time"

"Well… I guess it all started when I was three, when I started my Juuyken training…" And so Hinata told him about pretty much her entire life. At first it was hard, and there were many times when she was afraid she was boring him, but throughout all of her narrative, he was listening. He would occasionally nod in understanding or look in confirmation.

As she continued, it got easier, and soon she was pouring her entire life's story out to him, her own feelings and actions towards him omitted of course. She told him about how the normal Juuyken was so hard for her, about the death of her Uncle, Hizashi and how her cousin Neji now hated the main house for it. She told him about her mother's death and how she had been so crushed by it. She told him how her father had gotten so distant. About how her Juuyken training seemed so hard and how she had fallen behind in it. She told him how her cousin and her little sister would beat her in those sparring matches, and how her father seemed so disappointed in her, in her skill. How he called her weak and a failure. How this had spread through the rest of the clan and how many of the Hyuuga in general now regarded her as an insult to the clan. She told him everything. By the end of her story, the sun was already sinking quickly towards the horizon.

Naruto was now sitting with one knee bent upward which his arm was resting on. He was staring out at the horizon, his eyes closed as if in contemplation, as if he were trying to absorb and process all he had just heard. But the edges of his mouth were twitching, as if he were fighting back a scowl. Hinata was about to ask him if he was alright when he let out a sigh and opened his eyes as he gazed upward.

"He sounds like a real asshole if you ask me"

Hinata's eyes went wide in shock. Naruto… had just said _that_? About her _father_? _Hiashi Hyuuga_? No… he couldn't be right.

"N-No… you're wrong… you don't-"

"Don't what?" Naruto turned to her, scowling in anger, but anger not directed at her. "Don't understand? You just told me everything about your life, and from what I've heard, that's a pretty apt term to describe him"

Hinata was about to continue when she realized he was right. She had just told him almost _everything_ about the man. Naruto was anything but ignorant of the situation. But… did that mean he was right?

Naruto pressed the subject. "Hinata… no offense, but he's done nothing but belittle, discourage, and been down right _cruel_ to you for almost your entire life. How can you even call a man like that your _father_? Instead of trying to help you adapt the Juuyken to your own style, he just forced you to learn the normal Juuyken that you have such trouble with. And instead of calling your shyness and compassion a weakness and berating you for having it, he should have been helping you adapt to it. He should have been helping you and your sister equally, not throwing you to the side like a piece of trash at the first sign of a problem with you, a problem I might add, that can be easily remedied. The reason you're such a _failure_ as you _father_ puts it, isn't because of you, it's because of _him_. Instead of simply belittling and degrading you for being any less then what he thought might be 'ideal' for the clan, he should have been _helping_ you to become someone who was" Naruto's eyes were now dark but at the same time held that kind wisdom. He slowly turned his eyes away from Hinata and bowed his head as he closed them and spoke in a soft, almost sad, voice.

"And… I don't mean to sound selfish, but I can't see how you could respect a man who would see an innocent child put to death"

Hinata's pale eyes widened in shock and horror as what Naruto meant set in.

"You… You can't mean…"

"I do. He's been part of the faction that's been trying to get me put to death since I was born" Naruto answered, his face solemn as he glanced up at Hinata, his eyes soft and compassionate.

Hinata was still trying to process the information Naruto had given her. Her father… had tried to _kill_ Naruto? Because of Kyuubi? She knew that he probably wouldn't approve of any relationship with the blonde, but now he…

'_Wait… why should I care what he thinks about me?' _

Naruto's words from before now truly began to sink in and take root. What _had_ Hiashi done to earn her respect? As Naruto had put, he had done nothing be belittle and degrade her for almost her entire life. And he had even tried to condemn Naruto to death. No… he didn't deserve it. Hinata now wanted, almost desperately, to hate her father… but she couldn't. Despite all he had done to her, she knew that in his heart he still loved her, that and he was still family. She couldn't bring herself to hate her own father. But that didn't mean she had to respect him either.

Naruto's lips curled into a wry grin as he saw Hinata's hand clinch into a fist.

"Now do you understand?"

Hinata's eyes opened as she brought that hand in front of her face, as if she was trying to read something in it, why she had made it into a fist. She soon had her answer.

"Yes… Yes I do" she said as a look of conviction appeared on her face.

Naruto's smirk turned into a mirth-filled grin as he looked away towards the sun that had almost reached the horizon.

"You're taken your first step into a greater world Hinata" he said. "But you still have a ways to go to realize your full potential"

Hinata smiled softly as she thought of it. "I'm sure my sensei can help me along"

"I'm sure she can" Naruto said as he got to his feet, still staring at the falling golden sun. "But… That doesn't mean you can't accept other help does it?" he finished as he turned to face her.

Hinata's eyes widened once again as she realized what Naruto was implying.

"Y-You… You don't mean…" she said, trying to form a coherent sentence as her cheeks began to redden.

Naruto chuckled as he turned his head to the side, back towards Konoha. "I come here everyday after one o'clock to train. And since I don't like either of my teammates, it would be nice if I had a training partner" he spoke again as he turned back to her, the burning sun directly behind him.

Hinata gulped as she hoped beyond hope she was right about what he was implying.

Extending his had to her, Naruto spoke. "You're welcome to join me if you want… Hinata-chan"

Hinata looked up into his eyes in admiration and awe. His face now consisted of all his previous emotions. The confident smirk, the kind wisdom, and the bright mirth. His eyes were even brighter, with all the emotions she'd seen before in them, and more. The all-consuming azure fire, the all-seeing azure crystals, the flowing azure water, the crackling blue lightning, and the swirling azure cyclones.

And yet, for the first time, she felt no compulsion to faint at all.

And for the first time in a long while, she smiled.

"Sure"

With that, she took his hand in her own.

* * *

Wow. This might be the longest chapter I've ever written. Oh well.

Well, you guys wanted some NaruHina, and I've given it. This is pretty much how their relationship is going to develop. Naruto knows Hinata cares for him But he can't think as to why. Even so, he feels he should return some of that by being her friend. Their relationship isn't going to develop overnight. Its going to take a little while. Right now, they're friends. It really won't build beyond that until the Chunin exams ('cough' prelims 'cough').

Next Chapter: The formal introduction of Naruto's personas and some serious Sasuke bashing.

Read and Review


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

**Chapter VII**

**Mark of Genius**

* * *

Today had been a good day, Naruto decided as Hinata left the clearing.

He still wasn't quite sure of what to make of Hinata, but her feelings were sincere, and that was all that mattered to him. She had cared about him for the entire time they were at the academy. She was the only one who hadn't scorned him or hated him. Sure she hadn't really been nice to him, but that was only to her shyness, something that could be easily remedied in Naruto's eyes. The least he could do in return was to help her with her problems and try to be her friend. And maybe one day, perhaps more…

Naruto was broken from his musings as he realized he still needed something important to do. Something he had meaning to do for a long time now.

After a quick mental scan to check on his clones, Naruto sat down on the large boulder and assumed a lotus position. Closing his eyes, Naruto cleared his mind of any obtrusive thoughts, and turned his awareness inward so that it began scanning his entire mind for the one thing that was most integral to his plans as a shinobi.

'_Alright Kyuubi, where are you?' _

* * *

It was an odd feeling to say the least. As he concentrated, Naruto felt his awareness of the outside world drift away, like he was falling asleep. But at the same time, he was not sleepy at all. He wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but it was something unnatural. And right now, unnatural was good.

As his awareness of the outside world left completely, Naruto was made aware of other things, things that made him realize that he was not in the clearing anymore, at least not consciously. The first thing he realized was a dampness surrounding his legs, meaning he must be sitting in water, or some other kind of liquid. The second thing was a sound, a soft 'plock' repeating over and over again. The sound of dripping water. Finally, he could feel no form of wind, and he had learned the clearing where he trained was often very windy.

Slowly and deliberately opening his eyes, Naruto glanced about his currant location and uttered only a single word.

"Interesting"

He was currently in what appeared to be a large sewer of some kind. Only, it was not circular sewer, but rectangular and very large. Also the lack of any refuse was rather obvious, something Naruto was thankful for. The only form of light came through grates in the ceiling, and small neon lights on the walls. But at the same time, Naruto realized that despite the low light conditions, he could see fine. Better then usual even, as he had always had heightened senses. Something he was willing to bet Kyuubi had something to do with.

Getting to his feet, Naruto noticed something else that proved his theory that he was no longer in the physical world. As his legs left the water, all of the water and dampness left them. His pants legs didn't even remain wet.

Naruto was immediately struck by an interesting thought. If this was a manifestation of his mind, shouldn't he be able to control it at will? Deciding to test that theory, he looked to one of the neon lights. Concentrating, Naruto willed it to become brighter. Not a second after he began concentrating, the light increased in brightness to the exact point he envisioned it. His lips curling into a smirk, Naruto returned the light to its original brightness. He'd have to test the limits of what he could alter here at some point. But at the moment, he had more pressing issues to take care off.

Walking down the massive hallway, Naruto noticed several other corridors branching off from the main one. Glancing down one, Naruto found that he although he could see fine in the main corridor, the way down the other ones was shrouded in complete darkness. If Naruto had to guess, it was some way of concealing what lay within unless he actually went down there.

Deciding to just wing it, Naruto stated down this corridor. The corridor seemed to stretch on indefinitely. However, as he progressed, the darkness before him melted away, and began encroaching on the way behind him. When the opening into the main corridor had been completely obscured, Naruto saw what he had to guess was the end of the tunnel. He could make out a gleaming light at the end, obscuring his view just as the darkness had before. However, unlike the darkness, the light did not recede as Naruto approached it. Instead, right as Naruto reached the veritable wall of light, it vanished, leaving Naruto free to examine what lay beyond. As he beheld this new chamber, the blonde's lips curled upward in a triumphant grin.

'_Jackpot'_

The chamber was huge. The walls on his left and right were roughly three times as far apart as the corridors had been. And the ceiling was even taller. Naruto couldn't even make out the ceiling, just darkness roughly a hundred feet above him. Another interesting fact that Naruto noticed was that the water around him seemed to have deepened an inch or two in this room. In length, the room was a long as it was wide, or at least that was as much as Naruto could _see_.

But what most caught Naruto's attention was the wall in front of him, or rather, the _lack_ of one. Instead of a wall opposite him, there were merely giant bars going up into the darkness. Naruto instantly knew just what was he was looking at.

A cage.

About halfway up to the darkened part of the room on the cage, there was a simple piece of paper with the kanji for "Seal". That clenched it. This was what he was looking for.

As Naruto approached the bars, he could make out, if only faintly, what was behind them. And he wasn't surprised in the least at what he saw. A titanic silhouette with occasionally visible glints of orange. And behind it, nine massive tails swirled, as if with a mind of their own. When Naruto finally stood before the massive cage, gazing up at the great beast within it, massive eyes the size of small houses opened and gazed down at him. Eyes filled with malice, hate, and superiority. Eyes that looked down at him as if he were nothing more then an annoying insect. Eyes dyed a bloody crimson, and laced with a kind of evil that would make even the greatest of shinobi cower in fear before them.

Naruto didn't even flinch.

"Kyuubi I presume?"

He could just barely make out the beasts lips curl upward ever so slightly into a look of what Naruto guessed was amusement. The entire chamber seemed to rumble as a dark voice laced with pure darkness sounded from within, sending small waves rippling through the water.

"_**Hello… boy"**_

Naruto didn't respond at all to the taunt, merely keeping his confident smirk as he took another step towards the bars, stopping at about ten feet away.

The great demon's lips curled up, changing from a dark smirk to a grin, revealing his massive teeth, teeth that had to be at least 15 feet long. It was an expression that practically radiated pure evil and contempt.

"_**You're more foolish then I thought, whelp"**_

The blonde simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Oh?" Naruto asked, his hands currently resting in his pockets.

The beast's eyes suddenly lit up in something Naruto could immediately place. He knew that look.

A look of someone who thinks they've won.

And that was the only warning he got before Kyuubi's massive claws, each the size of a warehouse, shot out from between the bars, poised to crush him like an ant.

The claws moved at lightning speed, smashing into Naruto with the force of an avalanche and creating a massive blast of water flying everywhere. Throughout the chamber, Kyuubi's dark laugh reverberated.

Kyuubi's cackle of victory lasted only a second however, as the water settled back and he beheld his jailer.

There, having not even moved an inch from his spot, was Naruto. His right arm was raised as his hand grasped one of Kyuubi's massive claws. His left hand was still resting in his pocket. But it was the look on his face that truly shocked Kyuubi. A look of pure confidence. As if Kyuubi was no more then an annoyance, an annoyance that could be flicked aside with no effort at all.

"It seems like _you_ are the fool here"

In shock, and perhaps even fear, Kyuubi tried to pull his claws back inside. But to no avail. Naruto had the offending claw in an iron grip, even though his hand could not even begin to reach around it. It felt as if his claw was buried in a mountain, and completely irremovable.

Naruto's smile darkened as he added insult to injury. With no more then a flick of his wrist, he snapped the end of the claw right off. The act caused little actual pain to Kyuubi, as he didn't have many nerve endings going into his claws and in all actuality, a broken claw was not much of an injury. It was _who_ had made the injury that so shocked Kyuubi. This human, this… _boy_… had stopped an attack that would have shattered mountains like it was nothing more then a leaf in a calm breeze. He had then snapped through a material that was stronger then the greatest metal's known to man like it was a toothpick. Just _who_ was this boy?

"I think you're forgetting something Kyuubi" Naruto spoke as he hefted the broken claw (a claw the size of shed) over his shoulder.

"This is my mind"

With that Naruto hurled the broken claw at incredible speed, so fast that it began to heat up from air friction, striking Kyuubi right in the left eye with perfect accuracy.

The titanic demon howled in pain as roughly half his eye was melted away from the impact. When he finally looked back at Naruto, his gaze was no longer filled with the high aloofness of before. It had been replaced with pure, unadulterated rage. His pride had been all but destroyed by this… _boy_.

"_**How… How DARE YOU!"**_

Naruto's expression had morphed into one of dark amusement and satisfaction at seeing how easily the demon lord could be manipulated.

"_**Do not think for an INSTANT that you have won! I have leveled entire NATIONS! I have brought empires to their knees with a single thought! You are NOTHING compared to me WHELP!"**_

"I don't think you understand the _gravity_ of the situation you're in Kyuubi. I can do far worse then simply injure your _precious_ pride" Naruto replied, his eyes closed.

This made Kyuubi chuckle in amusement.

"_**You? HA! Do your worst… boy"**_

Naruto's eyes suddenly snapped open and his expression changed into one that would have made any human cringe. A look of psychotic madness. A look of sadistic pleasure.

"Gladly"

With that he drew his hands out of his pockets and raised them up, his palms pointed towards the ground and his fingers outstretched but at the same time partially curled.

Kyuubi raised a massive eyebrow, wondering what the blonde could possible be planning.

Then… his world exploded in pain.

The entire chamber lit up as blue lightning shot from Naruto fingers, splitting into hundreds of other arcs, and impacting Kyuubi with unbelievable force.

Naruto's grin only widened as he curled his fingers slightly, increasing the currant, and increasing the volume of Kyuubi's howls of pain. The lightning arced across Kyuubi, carrying through his body, burning his skin and innards. Desperately, the fox tried to move, but found that the electricity was causing his muscles to contort and cramp.

"Had enough?" somehow, Naruto's voice rang clearly in Kyuubi's ears.

"_**N-NEVER!"**_ Kyuubi roared, his pure anger finally overcoming his pain. With a final howl, he threw his massive tails forward, fully intent on crushing the insolent boy before him like the ant that he was!

Naruto merely shook his head.

Right as the tails reached him, Naruto cut the currant from his left hand, pointing his palm at the nine tails, each at least a mile long. The tails stopped in their tracks.

"_**H-How…?"**_ Kyuubi began to stammer

"Kyuubi… you still don't understand" Naruto shook his head in disappointment.

With that, he cut the lightning completely and raised his hands further.

"In here…" he began as he extending his fingers completely and closed his eyes, opening himself up completely, fully _willing_ what he wanted his mindscape to become.

As the lightning flew again, his eyes snapped open.

"…**I am GOD!"**

Instead of hitting Kyuubi, the lightning arced around the entire chamber, blasting ever surface. Naruto himself rose into the air, his arms outstretched.

Then, the entire chamber… shattered.

Kyuubi stared in shock and awe as the entire chamber fell away to reveal a place that practically defied logic. The seemed to be outside now, the sky was black as night and filled with stars. The horizon was completely illuminated by orange and purple light, as if the sun existed around its entire perimeter. But it was where the ground was supposed to be that truly shocked Kyuubi. Instead of land or even sea, there was only chaos. Below them was a swirling maelstrom of dark purple energy, crackling with black lighting. The vortex seemed to extent to the very horizon itself. The pitch black center of the storm sat below them, how far, Kyuubi could not fathom. Somehow, he had not begun to fall, as if he was floating just as Naruto was.

Speaking of the blonde…

Kyuubi's gaze turned back to the boy who seemed to defy everything Kyuubi thought possible in a human. Naruto was currently floating before Kyuubi, having moved a good distance from the fox. His hands currently rested at his sides. All around him, the blue lightning crackled. The lighting arced off of his skin and danced around him in an aura of power. Behind him, the lightning seemed to have coalesced into six wings that emerged from his shoulders and arced bolts of energy themselves. The entire display was mystifying and terrifying at the same time, even to Kyuubi.

But it was his eyes that made Kyuubi's own widen in shock.

Instead of the ocean blue of before, they were a gleaming silver. Eyes that practically _radiated_ power.

As his eyes opened, Naruto raised his hands up, as if trying to pull something from the heavens themselves.

Not a second later, that's exactly what happened. As Kyuubi looked up in curiosity, he saw what Naruto was calling.

A massive crystal, as large as Konoha's Hokage mountain floated down directly above Kyuubi. It was a gleaming silver, shining as bright as Naruto's eyes. Then, more followed. Five more crystals, each roughly half the size of the first, floated down around Kyuubi in a pentagonal formation. Each was a different color. One was a fiery red, another a pale white, a third an ocean blue, while a fourth was a shining copper, and the last was a sparkling yellow.

Naruto then brought his left hand out to his side, while bringing his right directly down, as if coordinating movement through hand signals. With that, even more crystals, twenty of them in total, each completely transparent, formed in front of the five colored crystals surrounding him, four in front of each arranged in a diamond.

With that, Naruto's hands returned to his sides and he let out a low sigh, as if the ordeal had exhausted him. Or at least that was what Kyuubi was hoping for. If the child had exhausted himself, then maybe he could overpower the boy.

That notion was soon crushed as Naruto smirked darkly and raised his left hand. Kyuubi thought for a moment that he was in for another electrocution like before. But instead of pointing the hand at the demon, Naruto instead pointed his outstretched hand at the silver crystal above them. Then, all of the lightning arcing off of him seemed to move, coalescing around his left hand. Then, Naruto stretched out his fingers, and the bolts flew.

A blast of lightning far greater then any before shot from his hand, so powerful that Kyuubi could _feel_ the shockwave it created. The blast impacted the crystal with massive force, but the crystal did not so much as move. Instead, it seemed to _absorb_ the electricity. As it did, the crystal seemed to shine even brighter, becoming so bright as to rival the sun. Just as Kyuubi thought it could become no brighter, Naruto stopped the blast. Not a second later, the crystal began letting off a low but deep humming sound, and Kyuubi feared it might explode, and with him in such close proximity, that would be _quite_ painful. But instead, just as the sound reached its peak, the crystal shot a blast of pure silver energy up into the sky in a massive beam of light. Kyuubi thought at first that maybe Naruto had made a mistake in what just happened. But he was beginning to realize just what the blonde might be planning, and he didn't like it.

As the beam shot up even further, it suddenly split into five smaller beams. These smaller blasts of energy arced away from their original path, shooting off towards the horizons. That did not last long either though. After a few seconds, the beams arced downwards, slowing turning back towards Kyuubi and Naruto. Kyuubi had little time to reflect on this however as the beams shot towards him, each impacting one of the five colored crystals surrounding him. The gemstones each began charging with power like the silver one before them. As they did though, lightning began crackling off them, leaping to the clear crystals in front of them. When those crystals began to be charged, they began to spin in a circle, each group of four spinning in front of their respective colored crystal.

When each of the colored crystals seemed to reach their peak of power, and the spinning crystals were spinning so fast as to only appear as four rings of crackling energy, Naruto gave a simple wave of his hand.

With that, Kyuubi's world entered a whole new spectrum of pain.

The spinning crystals unleashed a blast of lightning like Naruto had before, hitting Kyuubi with a force five times force then what Naruto had inflicted on him before. But it didn't stop there. Each of the massive colored crystals suddenly released a beam of pure energy, much like the silver beams that had impacted them, only the beams had been amplified ten-fold. The beams hit Kyuubi with the force of a meteor, and burned him with the heat of the sun itself.

Kyuubi… he couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't see, he couldn't feel _anything_. All he knew, was the pain. Nothing… nothing in his entire life existence had hurt him as much as this, not even his sealing inside of Naruto twelve years ago. The beams vaporized his fur, incinerated his skin, and turned his muscles to ash. Had he been capable of coherent thought, he probably would have wondered why he wasn't dead yet.

Everything had seemed to become timeless. He couldn't tell how long he had been like this. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, _years_… he could have been like this for _millennia_ for all he knew.

But then, through all the pain, misery, torment and suffering, his ears, long since burned away he thought, could discern one sound. The sharp crack of someone snapping their fingers.

And just like that… it was over.

Kyuubi slowly opened his eyes, how they survived he had no idea, and gazed out blindly at the one who had crushed him like a feeble ant.

Naruto stood, floating, in front of the fox. If Kyuubi's mind had not been trying to recover from the unearthly pain he had just been feeling, he would have been shocked at the expression adorning the blonde's face.

Naruto's expression was completely different from before. Instead of a look of dark satisfaction or sadistic pleasure, his face instead was one of sympathy and… regret?

Naruto looked over Kyuubi's battered and bloodied form. His eyes were filled with sympathy at what Kyuubi was feeling. When he had first come in to his mindscape to meet the demon, this was not what he had intended to happen. But… Kyuubi had seen him as no more then an insignificant bug, and had even tried to kill him. So Naruto, in a moment of Antharos-induced sadism, had decided to show Kyuubi who was boss here. He truly did not want to put Kyuubi through this, but he had been asking for it. Naruto knew that Kyuubi would be a invaluable ally and possibly one day a good friend. And they were in this together, so why should they hate each other? Sure Kyuubi had been part of the cause the village hated him, but that was merely in an indirect sense. Had Naruto been of the mindset of his previous self, he probably would have impulsively blamed Kyuubi for all his problems. But that wasn't true. For one thing, it had been the Yondaime who had picked Naruto as the one to bear the burden of carrying the demon, and even then, it was the villager's themselves who had decided to ignore logic and make Naruto their scapegoat for all their anger at Kyuubi.

Speaking of the fox, Naruto moved himself closer to the practically catatonic demon lord. He truly did look like shit. Worse even. The beams that Naruto had hit him with were hotter then the flames of the sun itself. If it weren't for the fact that Naruto had willed it, Kyuubi would probably have been completely vaporized in the first few seconds. And even then, he still looked like he had just taken a six hour bath in molten slag mixed with acid. His skin had been completely burned away and the muscles underneath had been cauterized. He was willing to bet most of the blood in his body had been cauterized, and his bones had probably been warped by the heat. And his internal organs had probably been turned to mush from all the electricity. If this had been in the real world, the fox would be long dead by now.

"Poor bastard"

Sighing, Naruto floated up right in front of Kyuubi's head. Closing his eyes and letting out another breath, Naruto placed his palm on the fox's massive nose or what was left of it anyway. Extending his will out to the mindscape around him, Naruto began his attempt to reason with the great demon as the space around them was bathed in white light.

Kyuubi's eyes suddenly snapped open. Wait… his eyes? Weren't they just burned away?

As he tired to figure that out, he noticed something else incredible. All his wounds… they were _healed_. Healed like they never existed. His left eye had been healed… and even the claw Naruto had broken off was back.

Glancing around, Kyuubi found that he was back in the sewer-like chamber in the cage that had been his home for the past twelve years.

"_**Was… was that…?"**_

"No. It wasn't a dream"

Kyuubi's eyes darted down to find Naruto standing before the massive cage again, like nothing had even happened.

"As I said before, I can make anything happen in here, including healing all of your injuries" Naruto's face was now one of neutrality. His face held no real expression, just one that showed kindness, but at the same time demanded attention and respect.

"_**W...Why? Why would you do that?"**_ Kyuubi was shocked at what the blonde had just done. One minute he was putting him through hell itself and the next he completely heals him like nothing happened.

Naruto simply shrugged. "I'm just not normally that kind of person. I didn't intend to do anything like that when I first came here. I just wanted to talk. But you seemed to be in no position to listen to me. You thought I was no more then an annoyance and could take over easily. I just needed to show you _exactly_ where you stand in this situation. Now that you know, can we sit down and talk about this like _civilized_ beings like I intended when I first got here?"

Kyuubi was still speechless from what had just happened. This boy… who could have turned him to dust _easily_ was showing him mercy? Wasn't he the one who had made his life a living hell for the past twelve years? It just didn't seem like what a normal human would do. Humans were biased, prejudiced and hateful creatures. The blonde haired child before him should have hated him. Unless…

Kyuubi chuckled as the answer dawned on him, sending a low rumble resonating through the chamber. Naruto cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"_**You're not human, aren't you?"**_ he stated more then asked, his lips curling into a knowing smirk.

Naruto's own lips curled into a similar expression as he chuckled himself, his eyes closed.

"Not in mind, certainly. Humans are hateful, vindictive creatures. Their eyes are easily clouded by emotion. And above all else, they are quite stupid as I have learned. They see with emotion and prejudice instead of logic and truth. Only a few of the masses see with logic and do not allow their eyes to be needlessly clouded. I may be human physically, but in mind, I am far different from the average human"

"_**Indeed" **_Kyuubi spoke, his head nodding in agreement. _**"And yet, you don't consider yourself better, do you?"**_

"No" Naruto replied, "I am merely different. Whether or not my difference makes me better or not is up to the opinion of those around me. If they think that I am better, so be it. If they think it doesn't, so be that as well. There is no such thing as simply _better_. Stronger maybe. Smarter maybe. But not _better_. For oneself to think themselves better, they will only be lead down the path of pride and arrogance, which shall ultimately lead to their downfall"

The chamber rumbled again as Kyuubi broke out into a hearty laugh.

"_**Well then, if it's the opinion of others that matter, I think you have become better. To overcome such pointless things as pride and arrogance, you have surpassed most of your kind"**_

"Thank you" Naruto nodded towards the demon. "But back to what I came here to talk to you about"

"_**Well, what is it?"**_

"Alright then, Kyuubi, this is where things stand if you haven't noticed. I've studied Junchuuriki, and I know that now that I know of you're here, there will come a time in the future where I will need to call on your power. I know that with the seal I can probably use it without your consent, but I realized that with your help, I can use it far better and easily. So, my offer is this, I suggest that we make the both out of this situation that we're in, and help each other out. In exchange for helping me use your power, I'm willing to allow you a few amenities in here, within reason of course. Were going to be stuck together for the rest of our lives, so I'd rather be spending that time with someone I consider a friend then an enemy. So what do you say?"

"_**You certainly know how to make a compelling argument kid. And yes, I agree with you about our situation. So to answer your question, yes I will help you. I DO want a few things in exchange however, though I believe they will do you good in the long run as well" **_

"Alright, shoot"

"_**First of all, you're going to have to allow me to increase the amount of my youki that's flowing into your body. You **_**do**_** know about that right?"**_

"Well, I did guess that was why I had such high chakra stores"

"_**Exactly. Anyway, if I increase the amount of my youki flowing into your body, it will grant me access to your senses and therefore, knowledge of the world outside this cage. From your end, this is a benefit as well. Your chakra stores will increase, as well as your healing factor, heightening your senses and boosting your speed, reflexes and strength. Basically a general upgrade of all your physical traits. You'll probably grow a little taller too. Finally, it will allow you to use my youki more effectively without it hurting you, don't ask about that now, I'll tell you once we get started. As for drawbacks, you might start unconsciously drawing on my power when experiencing points of emotional stress, but with the control you have over your emotions I highly doubt that will become an issue"**_

"Hmmm. Sounds like a nice enough compromise. So how exactly do I go about doing this?" Naruto asked.

"_**Quite simple really. You just have to start using my chakra more regularly. These changes won't happen all at once, instead it'll happen over time as you use my youki more and more. If you train with it daily, you should do fine. Though there **_**is**_** a way we can jumpstart the process if you're interested"**_

"Why do I get the feeling it'll be painful?" Naruto asked with a knowing look.

"_**Because it will"**_ Kyuubi said with what Naruto knew had to be a grin. _**"Don't worry, it shouldn't be **_**too**_** painful… I think"**_

Naruto just shook his head.

"Oh well, I guess this is just too good to pass up anyway. What do I have to do?"

"_**Nothing too complex, you just need to…"**_

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was not happy at the moment.

At first glance, one might think it was his currant predicament, having to put up with the dreamy stares of the most… enthusiastic member of his fanclub. And the occasional times she would try to talk with him or ask him out on a date (and by occasional, he meant roughly every few minutes). Add the fact that they had been waiting on the small bridge their sensei had designated as their meeting spot for the past _two hours_, and you can imagine how his nerves could be extremely frayed.

But that wasn't what was bugging Sasuke. He had long tuned out Sakura's annoying voice and time had seemingly just flew by as he had pondered the burning question in his head.

_Just who was Naruto Uzumaki?_

The day before yesterday, at the genin assignments, he wasn't sure what to make of the blonde. When the blonde had first come in, he had been just as shocked as everyone else. And even more so when he skillfully turned Kiba's taunt back on the dog-boy. After that, Sasuke had merely tuned out everything else in the room, as he had sensed the approached of two of the most determined members of his fanclub (he had long since learned how to tell when they were near. His anti-stalking reflex as he called it).

Though when the teams were called, he had found it curious that Naruto seemed to be just as unhappy with being partnered with Sakura as he was. Even more impressive however, was that Naruto, who to Sasuke's knowledge had a tremendous crush on Sakura, seemed to completely abhor the fact that she was on his team and Sasuke's respect for the blonde rose just a notch higher. It seemed as though Naruto had either gotten over his crush on Sakura, or he had forced her out of his mind. Either way, it was bound to make a better ninja out of him. That could only work to his favor.

But what little respect he had for the blonde had been quickly worn away in the three hours they had waited for their sensei to arrive. After all of the other teams had left, and it was obvious they might be waiting for a while, Naruto did something that anyone with common sense would do. He found something to occupy his time. But it was _what_ he had found that was what so infuriated Sasuke.

When the last of the teams and Iruka had left, Naruto had glanced around, pulled a pencil out of his pocket, and proceeded to start tapping it on his desk. This continued… for _three hours_. At first, Sasuke didn't think much of it. But when it was practically the only sound in the room… it got on his and Sakura's nerves rather quickly. Occasionally, he would accompany the tapping with the whistling of some strange tune that Sasuke couldn't place. But it was _definitely_ wearing his nerves away into near non-existence.

However, before he was driven to the point of loosing it completely and beating the blonde into a bloody pulp, Sakura seemingly solved his problem for him. Screaming at the top her lungs and jumping out of her seat, the pink-haired girl stomped up the blonde and was about the pummel him when something very… odd… had happened.

As Sakura's fist connected with his face, Naruto had 'poofed' into smoke to reveal a man in a jounin outfit. He was tall, easily 6'4". His first distinguishing feature was that he hid most of his distinguishing features. He had on a blue facemask that covered up to the bridge of his nose, and his forehead protector covered one eye. His silvery-grey hair shot up, as if defying gravity and his one visible eye seemed to _exude_ laziness. Or at least it would have, if he wasn't getting punched in the face.

Their sensei, as he later realized. Though he did have to admit, using kawarimi to escape Sakura's wrath was ingenious. Sasuke was just glad that he hadn't been the target of it.

After that, during their introductions, he was treated to even more surprises as to Naruto's change. He had completely lost any of his high-strung, hyper-active tendencies. He was more like Shikamaru then anything else. Instead of sitting their like a coiled spring on a hair-trigger like anyone who knew him would think he would, he simply lay down like he was trying to take a nap.

Then, he had provided his own introduction.

Instead of screaming out his name, how he was obsessed with Sakura and ramen and his idiotic dream of becoming Hokage, Naruto simply spoke in a lazy, uncaring tone. He found Sakura annoying (something Sasuke could agree fully on), he seemed to almost hate most of the village, and counted only a few people as even his friends. At least he still seemed to like ramen.

His 'dream' on the other hand…

Sasuke had long since ceased his futile attempts to deduce what the hell Naruto had meant by 'melon'. It was obvious it was something only Naruto understood, or it didn't mean anything at all and the dobe was just being stupid.

Then… their genin test came.

That was the thing that had Sasuke up nearly all last night pondering. He had been trying to deduce one simple question.

How had Naruto; the dobe; the _deadlast_, gotten _so powerful_?

It had defied everything Sasuke knew. When Naruto had first started to throw the kunai, Sasuke had almost welcomed the feeling of exasperation. Charging in recklessly without thinking was something the Naruto they knew had always done. But when Kakashi had turned the attack completely on its head and tried to scold the blonde, Sasuke and Sakura had been in for the shock of their lives. Naruto had used the attack as bait to lure Kakashi to him where he had a clone waiting, a maneuver that (though he'd never admit it) Sasuke knew even _he_ would never have come up with, especially so quickly. And where, and how, had Naruto learned to make _solid_ clones?

After the test had started and Kakashi had disappeared, Sasuke had spent nearly an hour searching for the man. He had briefly considered asking Naruto to help, seeing as he'd much rather have a competent shinobi like the blonde then one of his rabid fangirls as a teammate, but he had quickly crushed that idea. After all, what good were teammates in the long run anyway? And besides, if the deadlast could do that well against Kakashi, then _he_ should have no trouble against their would-be sensei.

Sasuke soon lived to regret those words.

Kakashi had, in all seriousness, made mincemeat out of him. He had used every weapon in his arsenal, even his Goukakyuu and a well-concealed trap. But Kakashi had easily brushed him off like he was an annoying fly, leaving him buried up to his head in the ground.

Then Naruto had surprised him _again_. Not only had the blonde dug him out, he had figured out the true part of the test when Sasuke had fallen for Kakashi's ploy hook line and sinker. And the fact that he wasn't even talking to the _real_ Naruto. In fact, as he later realized, he hadn't seen the real Naruto all day, just clones.

Then there was the perfectly coordinated assault Naruto and his clones had set up, and included himself and Sakura into. And Sasuke was still pondering, among other things, when and how Naruto had even gotten the bells off of Kakashi. He had never seen them grabbed by Naruto or one of his clones.

Clones… Throughout the academy, out of the three jutsu's necessary for passing, the bunshin jutsu was the one that had been impossible for Naruto to accomplish. And yet… here he was, a genin, even though he had failed the graduation test, with a _solid_ bunshin jutsu, even though such things should have been impossible for him, and did not seem brash, idiotic or loud at all.

What had happened to him?

As he stared down at the clear blue steam below him, Sasuke face contorted into a scowl. He obviously couldn't deduce what had happened to the blonde, and it had been impossible to find the boy yesterday. And today, Sasuke was beginning to wonder whether the blonde was even going to _show_ _up_. So far, it had been two hours and they had seen neither hide nor hair of their sensei or teammate. It was enough to make Sasuke wonder if their lazy sensei had somehow rubbed off on the blonde in the extremely short time they had known each other.

Sasuke was broken from his brooding as he heard the sound of rushing air that signified a shunshin. Apparently, Sakura heard it too, and they both turned to the sound expecting their sensei.

'_Heh. I bet the dobe overslept or something'_ Sasuke thought with a self-satisfied grin as he looked to his new sensei. His train of mocking thought was quickly derailed as he saw who it was.

Balancing on one of the poles at the bridge's edge, while giving small wave of greeting, was Naruto.

"Yo" he said in a lazy tone, his expression lazy and uncaring (think L's usual expression).

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He was expecting Kakashi so much that the shock of seeing Naruto was far greater then it should have been.

"YOU'RE LATE!!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs in her usual fashion, her fist beginning to shake as she considered pummeling the blonde.

Naruto seemed unfazed by this display, only flinching slightly in pain while rubbing his left ear. "Geez. Do you have to be so loud? Some of us have sensitive ears you know" he spoke in the same lazy tone that eerily reminded Sasuke of Shikamaru. "And I don't see Kakashi–sensei here so I'd say I'm not late. You're just early"

"You're still late from the time he said. You oversleep dobe?" Sasuke said in his usual mocking tone. At least he could return some form of normalcy. Naruto had _never_ been able to resist one his taunts.

"Not really. I woke up around 8:00. And besides, if he was three hours late yesterday and the day before, I'd say chances are he's going to be late a third day, and it looks like I was right. Why should I be waiting here for three hours if I know he's not going to be showing up until 11:00? I could get another hour of sleep or some mourning training in or whatever. If you ask me, you're the stupid ones. I mean, if he was three hours late the first _and_ second time, chances are he's going to be three hours late the third time" Naruto said as he gracefully jumped to the ground, his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the post, his eyes closed in some attempt to sleep.

Having no counter to that, Sasuke merely returned to staring down at the water and brooding like the emo he was. Sakura meanwhile, simply went back to staring dreamily at him and imagining things that neither of the two others wanted to think about.

Sasuke wasn't sure how much time had passed when the peaceful silence around them was broken, though in a rather subtle manner. It sounded almost like a low chant. Turning his head towards the source, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.

Apparently, Naruto had decided to pass the time today by trying to sing, of all things. And quite frankly, it was a little creepy to Sasuke.

It wasn't really singing. It was more like a very low chant. There weren't even words to it; Naruto was simply chanting a collection of 'ohh's at different lengths and tempos. But what really creeped Sasuke and Sakura out was how Naruto seemed to be able to make his voice reverberate and far deeper then they would have expected possible for someone like him.

It was then that something dawned on Sasuke.

"Hey dobe! How did you learn shunshin?" his tone was mocking and didn't hold much curiosity. It wasn't like he was curious to learn it for himself. The way he asked it, it was more like he was wanted to know how Naruto had the competence to learn the jutsu, which was exactly what he was wondering.

It actually took a few seconds before Naruto stopped the chanting and seemed to actually realize that Sasuke had just asked him something.

"It was in a scroll I found" Naruto answered. And it was true, technically. He had simply 'found' the forbidden scroll in the old man's vault.

"Teach it to me"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Sasuke, the so-called _rookie of the year_ and the academy's resident ego-maniac, was asking _him_, the _dead-last_ for help? Naruto restrained the urge to smirk, and deep inside his mind, Antharos and Zechs _did_ smirk. Well, Zechs smirked, Antharos made something more like a psychotic grin. It was time for that lesson in… _humility_.

"Oh? Why are you asking _me_? I thought I was the dead-last. Shouldn't you be above asking me for help?"

This time, Naruto couldn't resist the small, satisfied smirk that spread across his face when Sasuke's eyes widened as tried to process that information.

However, Sakura seemed ever eager to help boost the Uchiha's already over inflated ego.

"Yeah! He IS above asking you for help! That's why you should be so thankful that he is!" she yelled at Naruto, who was flinching in the slight pain her voice dealt to his eardrums, but he soon found a way to shut her up. Quickly pointing to Sakura, he spoke.

"You. Shut up. I'm pwning him with logic. You'll get your turn"

This had the desired effect of immediately shut Sakura up in a combination of shock that he had just insulted her (the fact that he seemed to be doing that a lot lately not yet occurring to her), and her attempts to process what he meant by that statement.

By this time however, Sasuke had managed to regain his superiority complex and was seemingly unaware of what Naruto had just told his fangirl.

"Yeah, so what's your point? Teach it to me!" he said, his voice raising in volume.

Naruto was tempted to keep leading the Uchiha in circles of his own self-contradicting logic, but it was time to work on deflating that ego of his.

"No" Naruto said, his tone telling that there was no room for argument.

But Sasuke wasn't going to listen to that.

"What?! Why not?!" he almost yelled this time. Maybe it was the fact that he expected Naruto to just blindly agree like almost anyone else in the village would.

But Naruto wasn't most people in the village.

"For three reasons" the blonde said as he held up one finger, "One: It would only serve to further inflate your ego, which is about the size of Kumo by the way. Two: You didn't ask nicely. And Three: I don't like you"

Needless to say, Sasuke was not happy.

"What?! Why should that matter?! I am-!"

"Yes Yes, I know, you're the 'Genius Uchiha'" Naruto interrupted, speaking in a sarcastic tone. "Now explain to me why that's a good reason why I should just give you whatever you want? Oh wait! That's why the _entire_ village has been giving you anything you like for the past five years. Well get this through that over-sized head of yours, Uchiha. I am _not_ most of the village. In fact, the very fact that most of the village has been practically bowing at your feet is enough justification for me to not teach you _anything_" Naruto finished his brief rant and exhaled, waiting for Sasuke's reply.

Said Uchiha looked quite angry at this moment, as well as his fangirl.

"BAKA!" Sakura screamed, "How dare you speak to Sasuke-kun like that?! He could beat you into a pulp in no time flat! He's an Uchiha! He's better then you!"

"Oh?" Naruto asked, a look of amused curiosity on his face, "and just where is his 'almighty' Uchiha clan that he thinks gives him such greatness? I don't see a clan. In fact, I don't remember any such clan since five years ago. As far as I'm concerned Sasuke, you have no clan. You're just an egotistical boy with a bloodline. A bloodline I might add, that you haven't even awakened. If the symbol of the Uchiha's power is this 'almighty Sharingan' of theirs, where is yours? If you don't have it, I don't see how you're any different from anyone else in our class"

Sasuke was now fighting the temptation to pound the insolent dobe into the ground for his remarks, but even he had to admit, Naruto was right on all of his points. The Uchiha clan was all but destroyed, and besides, how was he an Uchiha if he didn't have his Sharingan yet? But Naruto was still wrong on one point.

"You're forgetting something dobe" he sneered, "I'm the rookie of the year. A ninja genius. The grades of the academy prove that. And what right do you have to speak? You're the deadlast!"

Naruto eyebrows rose slightly, and Sasuke thought he finally got the dobe on something. But then Naruto simply closed his eyes and shook his head almost in sympathy.

"Sasuke" he began, "you're no genius"

"What? How can you say that? I'm the rookie of the year you deadlast!"

"That doesn't prove anything. That just says that you did better then everyone else in that class. It doesn't say anything about whether or not you're a genius. A genius is one who strives beyond what is expected. A genius isn't the one who ran the fastest in the race, he's the one who found the shortcut. Genius's think in a different way then the norm. They naturally have more potential then those around them. You on the other hand, have only been working harder then the rest of us. For the past five years, you have been training almost relentlessly, you have been training harder then anyone else in our class. That is why you got rookie of the year. It is hardly a detriment, in fact I respect you highly for taking the career of being a ninja so seriously. It has allowed you to become very skilled and will make you a powerful and skilled shinobi. But you're no genius. There is a difference between being skilled and being a genius. Don't confuse them"

Sasuke and Sakura were now stunned, their mouths hanging open. The former was far more shocked then the latter however. Sasuke was still trying to get a grip on what Naruto had said. But then a new thought came to his head.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm better then you. I'm still the rookie of the year, and you're the dead last of our class" he said in a mocking and confident tone.

Naruto just smirked.

"That could be argued. I'm not the one who got his ass handed to him by Kakashi-sensei yesterday"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further as he spoke again.

"Fight me then" regardless of anything, he was _still_ better then the dobe! And how dare he insinuate that he wasn't a genius?!

A dark grin spread across Naruto's face as he replied.

"Alright, but no ninjutsu. I can't use my clones, and you can't use your fireballs. Agreed?"

"Fine. I won't need them to beat _you_" and he wouldn't. It was common knowledge at the academy that Naruto's taijutsu sucked.

Naruto chuckled as he stood up strait and walked to the end of the bridge so he was directly facing Sasuke who stood at the other end, already in his taijutsu stance. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he did. Was it his imagination, or was Naruto slightly taller then he was yesterday?

"Don't judge a book by its cover. Its pages might just eat you" he said as he assumed an odd pose. His left hand was coiled into a fist, but he brought his arm around behind him so it was on his lower back. His right hand was open with his arm extended out. The upper arm was held at his side with the forearm extended forward at an upward angle. Finally, his palm was open and facing upwards.

Sakura immediately moved out of the way, a giddy look on her face. Naruto had a feeling she didn't have much confidence in him.

Sasuke was slightly puzzled. He had never seen that kind of stance before. Had the blonde discovered a new one? It didn't matter though. If Naruto couldn't master the academy taijutsu, how could he hope to learn a more advanced style?

Naruto let out a slight sigh as he calmed himself. He would need all his concentration for this. Zechs and Varsee were the keys to this style.

His mind completely calm, Naruto opened his eyes, the eyes of Zechs, and spoke in his monotonous voice.

"Come then. Show me… your strength"

Sasuke didn't seem to need any prompting. He instantly charged Naruto, his left hand throwing a powerful strike to his face. Naruto however, immediately tilted his head to the left, dodging the punch. The blonde then followed up by knocking Sasuke arm away with his extended arm. Sasuke quickly retaliated by throwing a quick jab with his right hand, only for it to be intercepted by Naruto's other hand grabbing his wrist.

Naruto quickly followed through by gripping Sasuke's left arm with his right hand and pulled Sasuke off balance, moving past the boy with his foot outstretched at the same time. The result was Sasuke tripping over Naruto's foot and being thrown to the ground behind him.

Scowling, Sasuke was instantly back on his feet, and was on Naruto again, raining down a hail of punches and strikes. Naruto however, skillfully dodged or stepped out of range.

Sasuke was quickly loosing his cool. How could this be happening?! He had the best taijutsu in the class, and yet he hadn't managed to land a single blow on the blonde. The strikes that did actually impact Naruto were quickly blocked and countered. He just couldn't fathom how this could be happening. How did the dobe get this good?! It was like he could see his moves before they happened, and was he imagining things, or had Naruto's pupils elongated into slits?

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed as he leapt forward, throwing another full-force punch at the blonde's chest, hoping to catch him off guard. But his opponent had seen straight through his ploy. Bringing up his hand, Naruto caught Sasuke's oncoming fist and quickly pushed it downward, sending Sasuke flying over him. The Uchiha was quick to recover however. Landing on his hands, Sasuke sent a spinning kick at Naruto's head. But the blonde saw through that feint as well. Thinking quickly, Naruto not only ducked under the kick, but also caught Sasuke's ankle, leaving the boy helpless.

"You have become strong, Sasuke Uchiha" Naruto spoke in a calm, even tone, that had an almost sage-like sound to it. "Though…"

Naruto stopped as he twisted Sasuke's foot, sending the boy tumbling. But even then, Sasuke lashed out with his other foot, hoping that the blonde would be too distracted. He had no such luck.

Naruto leapt up out of the path of Sasuke's attack, flipping end over end until he landed on one of the posts at the end of the bridge, gazing down at Sakura and the prone Sasuke with uncaring indifference.

"Much to learn, you still have" he finished, assuming his starting pose.

Naruto could only inwardly smirk as he looked at Sasuke's scowling face. This was why Sasuke was no genius. He thought in a far too linear fashion. He didn't think with strategy. He just rushed in and used brute force. This was why he had almost failed Kakashi-sensei's test.

He on the other hand, had quickly found a way to exploit this weakness in Sasuke, as well as capitalizing on his own greatest strength. His nigh-infinite stamina. Over the past week, during his training with his clones, he had soon learned that he had hardly any aptitude when it came to taijutsu. He simply could not grasp the academy style that he had been taught. So he had come up with a rather effective solution.

He had made his own taijutsu style. He was still unsure of what to call it, but its effectiveness was quickly apparent. The style capitalized on his strengths and eliminated his weaknesses. The concept behind the style was pure defense. The entire style revolved around blocking, evasion and counterattacks. Naruto had designed the style not as a taijutsu, but rather as a _counter_ to taijutsu. The idea of the style being to use his incredible stamina to turn a battle into a war of attrition. He would simply wear his opponents down before going for a kill. The style's main strength was the way Naruto would concentrate on only his opponent's movements and defending against them. Without being distracted by his own offensive, his defense was made far stronger.

Of course, the style was completely ineffective against anything but taijutsu, but then since Naruto didn't like fighting with taijutsu anyway that wasn't really an issue. The only real weakness of the style was if someone happened to be faster or stronger then Naruto himself was, but yesterday's augmentations Kyuubi's youki had given his senses and muscles had given him the perfect edge over Sasuke.

Naruto was broken from his musings as Sasuke leapt up to attack him again. Regaining his senses, Naruto leapt off the post, landing on the ground at the end of the bridge, a now-enraged Sasuke glaring at him from atop the post.

'_Geez. He looks like he's gonna blow a gasket'_

What Sasuke did next, Naruto could admit he wasn't expecting. Well, he was expecting it, he just didn't think Sasuke would actually go that far.

Said Uchiha leapt high into the air. Naruto tensed, wondering what the Uchiha was planning.

Then… Sasuke started making handseals.

Naruto's eye widened as he realized what Sasuke was doing. So much so that he didn't move until Sasuke finished.

"GOKAKYUU NO JUTSU!" Sasuke practically screamed in anger as he let loose the giant fireball at Naruto.

Naruto's look of disbelief quickly hardened into a scowl.

"Dumbass!" Naruto yelled, mostly to himself actually, as he pulled a kunai from one of the pouches on his leg.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the knife flying directly into the oncoming fireball. On its other side, Sasuke was still unaware of what Naruto was doing, too consumed by his own hate to think clearly.

Then the kunai exploded.

As the weapon penetrated the fireball, it detonated with tremendous force. The ensuing shockwave completely extinguishing the attack. Brought knocked back to his senses, Sasuke's eyes widened in fear as he brought his arms up in an attempt to shield himself as the shockwave and flames impacted him, sending him flying.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura screamed in terror as the battered form of the Uchiha flew over her and hit the concrete on the other side of the bridge, _hard_.

Running to her long-time crush, Sakura tried to help him up, only to be turned away.

Sasuke was now struggling to even stand up. His whole body ached from the shockwave and he began to wonder if he had broken something in that fall. Those thoughts were broken as he heard the heavy footfalls land on the wooden planks of the bridge. As he looked up, Sakura followed his gaze.

Naruto was now calmly striding across the bridge at a calm and even pace. His expression was of complete neutrality. His eyes were closed and his lips were completely straight as he approached them. When he stepped off the bridge, Sakura was quick to accost him.

"YOU BAKA! What were you thinking?! You could have killed Sasuke-kun!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she stood in front of him, her fist raised, fully intent on pummeling him as she had done so often at the academy.

But that had been the old Naruto.

Quicker then she could even register, Naruto seized the oncoming fist in an iron-hard grip. Sakura's eyes widened at this, but that was nothing compared to what happened when Naruto's eye's shot open, affixing her with a dark glare.

"Do not interfere" his voice was completely monotonous, but also held an underlying anger to it. Anger that was being kept in perfect check. And his eyes held an even darker look. A look of pure and utter darkness, like she was nothing but an annoyance. An annoyance that he could obliterate with no more then a flick of his wrist. Obviously, his currant anger was directed at Sasuke, but Sakura feared that he might turn his unholy anger on _her_, and for the first time, Sakura fear for her _life_. She now knew for certain, that this was in no way the Naruto she knew. This new Naruto held nothing but contempt for her. But even now, she just couldn't accept that fact. Naruto had changed _so_ much, so _fast_, that it was nigh-impossible for her to adapt.

Then, Naruto released her, tossing her aside. Sakura was so absorbed in fear of that glare Naruto had given her that she almost fell over.

Not giving the girl a second thought, Naruto stepped in front of Sasuke as the latter tried to stand. Naruto quickly affixed Sasuke with the same dark glare he had given Sakura as he spoke in the same neutral voice, though with a bit more emotion and volume this time.

"You dumbass! You almost killed me just now!" he said, his voice beginning to raise in volume.

"Whatever" Sasuke said, trying to salvage what he could of his already splintered pride, "you still lost dobe"

"Lost?" Naruto asked incredulously "Ha! I'm not the one barely able to stand"

Growling, Sasuke finally got to his feet. "I'll show you who's barely able to stand!" he yelled as he began to charge Naruto. But just as he did, he felt a strong hand grip his shoulder. Looking behind him, Sasuke could see the form of their sensei towering over him.

"That's enough"

* * *

Wow. 10K words? Geez I broke my own record again!

Anyway, I promised Sasuke bashing, and I'd say I delivered. And we finally get the meeting with Kyuubi. And yes, I did say Kyuubi wouldn't be supercharging Naruto, but I don't really consider this that. Kyuubi just helped Naruto overcome some physical flaws. It's not like he taught Naruto some over-powered jutsu that can level half of Konoha or gave him an oversized Bijuu-slaying sword or something. And Naruto's speed and strength are about mid-chunin now. He still wouldn't stand a chance against Kakashi or Zabuza one on one.

And how did you like the Kyuubi torture scene? Yes, that was techniquely force lightning that Naruto was using on him. I think I've been playing a bit too much "Force Unleashed" recently (AWESOME GAME (you can throw Jawas in the stratosphere LOL)).

Read and Review or suffer the wrath of logic pwnage!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically

**Chapter VIII**

**Not Most Genin**

* * *

Naruto gazed at his sensei and currently-restrained teammate, a look of uncaring indifference on his face. A seething Sasuke was now being grappled easily by Kakashi, the orange book missing from his hands. The hand that the boy was about to use to strike Naruto was now pinned behind his back to paralyze him.

"That's enough" the man spoke in a low voice, not the lazy, uncaring tone from yesterday, but one that demanded attention, and seemed to carry an underlying hint of disappointment. Naruto could instantly tell what that stemmed from. He supposed he'd be in a similar state if he was in Kakashi's position.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled as she saw him, "Where the hell were you?! Naruto-baka almost killed Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura was cut off from her ranting as she immediately found herself gripped by what could only be described as concentrated _fear_. As Kakashi's single eye gripped her in a piercing gaze, Sakura found it impossible to move, even difficult to _breath_. It was much like the terrifying gaze that Naruto had affixed her with only minutes before, only this was far worse. When she had met Naruto's piercing and haunting gaze, it was like she was being stripped bare. Like every secret she ever held or will be holding was completely and utterly brought to light without any personal preference. Like everything about her was being taken apart and examined like some scientific specimen. But more then that, it had been not just the fact that she felt so examined. It was that she felt so utterly powerless. Like every defense, both mental and physical that she ever had was torn down and she was at the complete mercy of the blonde.

What Sakura was feeling now… was far worse. What Kakashi was directing at her now could only be described as pure, concentrated, unadulterated _fear_. It felt as if a knife was being pressed to her throat, as if he could end her life with a single thought. It was terrifying to say the least.

And then, just as quickly as it came, the aura of fear vanished. Like a mourning mist in the heat of the day. Kakashi was still affixing her with his dark, cyclopedian gaze, but it held none of the fear from before, like the oppressive aura had been simply turned off like one would do to a light switch. Sakura was suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration, a memory of a lesson Iruka had given them a year back.

'_Killing intent'_

Now it made sense. What Naruto and now Kakashi had hit her with was their own respective Killing Intent, or KI as the abbreviation was. But what truly shocked Sakura was not Kakashi's, he _was_ a _jounin_ after all, and she was just a lowly genin just out of the academy. No, what truly amazed and even terrified Sakura was that _Naruto_, someone who should have been below even her skill level, could have induced a similar effect. Granted, Naruto's wasn't as terrifying or fear inducing as Kakashi's had been. In fact, that was what scared Sakura the most. It was that it _hadn't_ been as bad. The raw power behind Naruto's KI induced glare had been nowhere near as strong as Kakashi's. And yet, the effects they had on her were almost identical. Naruto's KI had paralyzed her in fear just as much as Kakashi's had, and with probably a tenth of the power. Just what was so special about Naruto? Was it because his KI, or his chakra for that matter, was different then others? Was it some kind of special talent or bloodline?

'_Or is it just a sign of how weak I am?'_ Sakura thought to herself as she recalled the feeling of complete and utter inferiority she had felt yesterday. At the sight of seeing the incredible power Naruto possessed. How he seemed to be surpassing all of them, even Sasuke now that she had seen them fight. Naruto simply seemed to be on a higher level. Sakura's eyes suddenly widened as she recalled his words from before.

'…_a genius isn't the one who ran the fastest in the race, he's the one who found the shortcut…'_

'…_they naturally have more potential then those around them…'_

'…_there is a difference between being skilled and being a genius. Don't confuse them…'_

Naruto had said those words to teach Sasuke a lesson. A lesson in humility. But maybe it had a deeper meaning as well.

'_Was he referring to himself? Does he think that he's a genius?'_ Sakura wondered.

"Sakura" Kakashi spoke, breaking the girl from her ponderings. It was a voice that was bit less dark and foreboding then before, but still held the undeniable authority. "I will not have your infatuation with Sasuke overriding your simple logic. I watched the battle from beginning to end. Sasuke is the one who struck first. It was only natural for Naruto to retaliate"

Sakura could only nod in agreement. No matter how much she wanted to think that Sasuke was in the right, she just couldn't deny that logic.

"Though at the same time Naruto" Kakashi continued, looking to the blonde who now looked on in curiosity as to what his sensei was about to say. "I believe you overreacted. You could have handled the situation better then hurling an exploding kunai into the fireball. Sasuke could have been seriously injured had you not timed the note right"

The thoughts that now it seemed that Sasuke was now in the right and Naruto in the wrong immediately broke her from her internal thoughts and set her back into her admiration and infatuation with the young Uchiha.

"Yeah! You could have killed him baka!" she yelled, not noticing the disappointed look Kakashi gave her.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, but he then simply shook his head.

"Sakura, if I had actually _wanted_ to kill Sasuke, believe me, he'd be nothing more then an ugly stain on the landscape right now. And Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke was never in any danger of injury. I had everything under control"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly at this as the jounin responded.

"Maybe in your own mind, but there are plenty of other variables in the real world that you can't account for. What if the exploding tag you used had been faulty and burned slower then normal? What if it was more powerful then you anticipated? Sasuke could have been seriously injured" he spoke in a scolding tone.

"You're absolutely right Kakashi-sensei" Naruto agreed, his head nodding, "which is precisely the reason why I _didn't_ use an exploding tag"

This immediately knocked everyone into a shocked stupor that seemed to be becoming a common occurrence around Naruto recently. Sasuke might have even been able to break Kakashi's hold had he not been in a similar state of surprise.

An amused grin spread across Naruto's face as he reached into one of the pouches on his thighs. Pulling out what appeared to be a normal, non-descript kunai, Naruto held it up in front of him for the rest to see.

"I don't use very many normal kunai or shuriken anymore. I've found these to be far more versatile"

"Huh?" was all Sakura could reply, "that's just a normal kunai"

"Wrong" Naruto corrected, his smirk widening, "After all…" he continued as he dropped the knife. Just as the weapon was about to hit the ground however, it was suddenly engulfed in smoke.

"…Kage Bunshin have so many uses" Naruto finished as the smoke cleared to reveal a second Naruto standing next in the place of the kunai.

"You… use henge'd Kage Bunshin?" Kakashi asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" Naruto asked in mock surprise. "I mean they can do almost anything. This way I can get any weapon I might need at a moments notice. Besides, how many people are going to expect a kunai or shuriken randomly explode or turn into a clone?"

While Sakura and Sasuke were looking on in shock, Kakashi also had a look of amazement and pride as well. Naruto truly had taken the technique to its ultimate level. He had heard of people henge'ing their Kage Bunshin so they could sneak into places, but Naruto had taken it a step further. Combined with the sheer number of clones that he could create, in Naruto's hands, the potential of Kage Bunshin was nigh-limitless.

Naruto could only smirk at their shocked expressions as he continued. "And the best part is that I can just make a group of these guys and store them ahead of time" He said, gesturing to the clone who just smiled and waved at the others.

"Hi"

"That way my chakra isn't depleted and I have that much more to use in battle. If I happen to need a few clones, I can just toss a few weapons and I've got some backup with no chakra depletion" Naruto finished as he looked on at his teammates who only just seemed to be coming out their shocked stupor, something that seemed to be happening frequently around him. His clones however, quickly put them back in one.

"I like Pancakes!"

While Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi were now looking at the clone with a general 'WTF?' expression, Naruto just glanced to his companion before assuming a thoughtful look.

"Indeed. They are good. Maybe we'll go get some later"

"Yay!" the clone cheered before 'poofing' back into a kunai, which Naruto retrieved and returned to the pouch on his leg.

"So, you were saying sensei?" Naruto asked, turning back to Kakashi who had now released Sasuke.

"Alright, I guess you did have things under control. But even so, you both went overboard with that. Naruto, even if you didn't intend to injure Sasuke and most likely wouldn't have, you still used a powerful and highly dangerous technique. Bunshin Daibakuha is not a skill to be used so flippantly"

"And Sasuke" Kakashi now turned to Sasuke, who had been smirking spitefully at seeing the blonde being admonished, "What you did could be considered assault. You and Naruto both agreed not to use ninjutsu in your fight, and you used a very dangerous and potentially deadly technique on him. If Naruto hadn't been careful or prepared, he could have been seriously injured or killed. I am in no way against sparing, but I will not have my students trying to kill each other" Sasuke's eyes were now wide in shock at the forcefulness of his teacher's statement, and even took a slight step back from the man. Kakashi seemed to not even notice this as he continued.

"If I _ever_ see you, any of you," he spoke as he glanced towards Naruto and Sakura "using techniques on each other that could seriously injure or kill each other without my approval, I am dropping you from the program and sending you back to the academy, is that clear?" he finished, applying a slight amount of KI to his voice to make his point, leaving his students in states of varying amounts of shock and unease.

"Yes sir!" Naruto spoke, his expression and voice conveying that he understood perfectly and would do his utmost to follow the orders his teacher had given him.

Sakura was the next to recover, nodding vigorously in agreement to Naruto's statement.

"Yes sensei. We'll do that"

Sasuke just sighed as he seemed to accept defeat.

"Yes sensei"

Kakashi seemed to accept this and nodded.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, time for what we were _supposed_ to be doing" he said, reverting back to his normal, lazy tone almost instantaneously.

Pulling the familiar orange book from his ninja pouch, Kakashi began walking off, motioning for his students to follow.

"Today, we officially start missions as Team 7. We'll get our missions from Hokage-sama at the tower, so we'll be off there now"

Naruto simply shook his head as Sasuke's and Sakura's faces lit up in surprise and anticipation. The fact that this was what they were doing was quite obvious. Naruto had been guessing it even before Kakashi had told him yesterday, though he was a bit curious as to what exactly they'd be doing. From what he, or rather the hundred or so Kage Bunshin he'd scattered around Konoha listening to whatever people may have been talking about, had heard, they'd only be doing low grade D-rank missions. Nothing too big like escorts or assassinations. Heck, they most likely wouldn't even be leaving the village. But at least he knew they'd be pretty easy, and they'd be getting paid too which was always good.

Naruto's attention was then turned to a soft giggling coming from Kakashi. Glancing up at his sensei, the blonde noticed he seemed quite into that orange book of his. This in of itself made Naruto curious. Just what was in that book that his sensei found so interesting?

Focusing chakra to his eyes, Naruto's vision magnified by a few degrees (one of the bonuses from the influx of Kyuubi's youki he'd gotten yesterday). With his enhanced vision, Naruto examined the title of the book, a bit of a chore considering that he was doing this from partially behind the man and out of the corner of his eye as to not attract attention, but he managed.

'_Icha Icha Paradise? Wait, isn't that…'_

Naruto's eyes widened slightly before adopting something of a 'WTF?' look. Kakashi, supposedly one of the strongest ninja in the village from what he'd heard, spent most of his free time… reading porn?

"_OKAY… THIS GUY HAS ISSUES…"_ Xenos said, voicing Naruto's thoughts.

"_**Yah got that right"**_ Antharos agreed, shaking his head in semi-disbelief.

Zech's seemed to be in a much lesser state of surprise.

"_Meh. So he reads porn. Plenty of people do"_

'_Yeah, but out in public?'_ Naruto put in.

'_hEY, PORN RYMES WITH CORN'_ Drak said out of the blue, something everyone else just seemed to tune out. _'wHERE DO CATS COME FROM?'_

"_**From your mom!"**_

'_rEALLY? sHE MUST REALLY LIKE CATS'_

'_um… do any of you really think he should be reading that stuff in public? i mean, there are impressionable children around?'_ Varsee spoke up.

"_**Hah! I bet they don't even know what that is"**_

Naruto himself adopted a thoughtful expression as the pyro's statement sank in.

'_Hm… That's an idea'_

"_**Huh? Oh, I see where you're going. Hehehehe"**_ Antharos chuckled to himself as he caught on.

"_WHAT IS IT?"_ Xenos inquired.

"_**You'll see"**_ Antharos replied, his face baring an evil, knowing smirk as Naruto enacted their evil plan.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as the three genin and one jounin walked through Konoha.

"Hm?"

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to read stuff like that in front of impressionable children such as ourselves?"

Kakashi eyebrows rose slightly, but quickly suppressed it. He was about to counter with his own argument when Sakura spoke up.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, suddenly curious herself as to what the book was that her sensei found so interesting. "What is that book anyway?" And though he did his best not to show it, Sasuke was equally interested and looked slightly towards his sensei, silently awaiting an answer.

"Well, um…" Kakashi stammered slightly, not exactly sure how to proceed with the situation. None of the teams he had taken in the past had asked him about that before their test, and he had failed every single one of them, save this one. So he was unsure how to broach the fact that he was an avid porn reader to twelve-year old children. Granted, they were shinobi, but that didn't have any effect on their inherent naiveté and… closed mindedness to such things. "You see… it's actually…-"

"It's porn"

Sasuke and Sakura were now looking at their blonde teammate with semi-shocked expressions. Said blonde was returning their gaze with an evil, victorious smirk.

"_**HAH! Priceless!"**_

The two flabbergasted genin slowly looked to their sensei for some sort of confirmation of this. "W-Wha…?" Sakura now stammered, her face a combination of shock and growing disgust. But before her sensei could say anything in his defense, her blonde teammate continued.

"Oh yeah. It's called 'Icha Icha Paradise'. You ever heard of it? Well apparently, its one of the best selling adult book series in the elemental countries right now. And from what I've heard, he's quite the avid reader. And yes, it is porn" Naruto spoke up, an innocent look on his face, with an undertone of an evil, triumphant smirk as seeing his teammates apparently scarred for life and his sensei seriously unsettled.

"So sensei, I don't think you ever answered my question, did you?"

"Uh…"

* * *

That had been an interesting trip to the Hokage tower Naruto decided. After Kakashi's attempt (emphasis on the 'attempt' part) to explain himself and his porn addiction (with several 'additions' from himself of course), his teammates were now thoroughly scarred for life and had a much lower opinion of their sensei. Sakura in particular looked like she wanted to rip the book apart, had it not been for the fact that had she done that, Kakashi would probably have proceeded to rip _her_ apart. Naruto had long since known that Sakura had held a stereotypical female hatred of pornography, something he had found quite ironic considering the fact that one of her life-long fantasies was to more or less 'reenact' the content of that book with Sasuke.

''_sigh'_ _hypocritical as always. What I ever saw in her I will probably never know'_

This was precisely the reason (or one of them anyway) that Naruto had cast off any kind of affections or feelings he might have held for Sakura or any like her.

And besides, Naruto had no interest in girls anything like Sakura. They had the pathetic fantasy of playing the 'damsel in distress'. Not doing anything while the object of their affection heroically rescued them from danger. Something that absolutely disgusted Naruto. Such things were the ultimate personification of sexism and self-degradation. They actually believed that they should leave all the work to their love interest. That they were inherently incapable of doing anything themselves. It was even worse then Hinata's self-doubt and shyness. If there was anything that Naruto would want from a girlfriend, it would be not to blindly follow him like Sakura and others would to their 'Sasuke-kun'. Instead, he would want them to walk beside him, as an equal, not as a follower. And it was not just a personal preference of his. Naruto believed that this is the way so-called 'love' should work. As he had read in a book a few days ago, _"To truly love another is not to gaze at them, but gaze forward with them"_. It was because of this that Naruto found Sakura and all members of Sasuke's fanclub to be utterly pathetic. One might think Naruto was being picky, but then, he was talking about a love-interest here. Not something to be taken so lightly in his opinion. Though Naruto found it interesting that not many girls he knew fit that category.

'_Heck, Hinata-chan's the only one who even comes close to fitting it. Actually, she fits it rather well… Wait, Hinata-_chan_? Where did that come from?'_

Naruto was broken from his musings as he realized that they had not only entered the Hokage Tower, but they were now walking through the door to the mission room.

At the end of the room sat the Hokage as well as a few chunin, one of whom happened to be Iruka.

"Genin Team 7, under Kakashi Hatake, reporting for missions" Kakashi announced, albeit in his normal lazy tone.

Though Sarutobi had seen the four of them come in, Iruka and the other chunin had been absorbed in paperwork and now just looked up to see the latest arrivals. Though most of them regarded them with general indifference (a few not even recognizing Naruto in his new attire), Iruka smiled warmly at his former students, especially the one who was much like a little brother to him, even after his personality shift.

Chuckling at Kakashi's faux-professional tone, the Sandaime retrieved a few papers from the desk.

"Well then, most of the D-rank missions have already been taken for today. All we have left are these three" he said as he placed the papers on the desk. Kakashi walked forward and retrieved them. At first he was going to simply look over them himself, as was his habit. But then he remembered that he was a teacher here, not a team leader. So he supposed that it should be his genin that decided their mission and handed the papers to Naruto who immediately started looking them over with a critical eye, Sasuke and Sakura looking over his shoulders.

Smiling softly at Kakashi's actions, Sarutobi launched into an explanation.

"The only missions left for today are a delivery mission, a retrieval mission and a work-assistance mission" he explained. Sasuke and Sakura looked up in curiosity. Those missions certainly sounded interesting…

'_But what does 'manual assistance' mean?'_ Sakura wondered.

Naruto on the other hand simply looked up with a semi-incredulous look.

"So we're either playing a cheap delivery service, a city-wide game of hide and seek, or a day of hard manual labor? Geez, they all sound _so_ fun and exciting" he said with a voice that dripped sarcasm.

His teammates looked to him with questioning looks, which were ignored. Sarutobi simply shook his head in a cross between amusement and faux-exasperation.

"Yes, those are you choices. This is only your first mission, so we can't very well give you anything above a D-rank. At least not until you complete enough for your sensei to satisfied that you're ready" Iruka answered while gesturing to Kakashi, a small amused grin on his face at Naruto's apparent sarcasm. And it wasn't like he couldn't relate. He, like all of their shinobi, had been forced to endure the 'D-rank' phase of his shinobi career, and had been all too glad when he started undertaking C-ranks and higher.

Naruto himself adopted a semi-thoughtful look at Iruka's statement before squashing it.

"Guess there's no chance you think we're ready for a C-rank is there?" he spoke as he glanced to Kakashi who was now leaning against the back wall.

"Nope"

"Dammit"

"Think of it this way Naruto; At least you're getting paid" the Sandaime spoke up, gambling he understood Naruto's new persona as well as he thought.

"Mmm. Money" Naruto said to himself, "Okay, you got a point there"

Turning around to face his teammates he spoke in his normal neutral tone with a hint of sarcasm. "So what do you two want? A day of being a cheap delivery service, a city-wide game of hide and seek or a day of back-breaking hard labor? Personally, I'd take the second one"

Caught off guard a little, Sasuke and Sakura took a second to digest what Naruto just said.

"Well, the second does sound like the easiest…" Sakura trailed off, not exactly interested in a day of hard work or running all around the village carrying packages or whatever.

"Hn. Fine. We'll take it" Sasuke said, not feeling happy at how Naruto seemed to be asserting leadership of their team.

"Alright then" Naruto agreed, a small smile on his face as he turned back around, returning the other papers to the desk while looking over the third set. His face suddenly turned to one of semi-confusion and curiosity.

"Retrieving a lost cat?" he asked Sarutobi, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, the cat's name is Tora. She's the pet of the wife of the Fire Damiyo" the aged Hokage answered, pulling a picture from the desk and handed it to Naruto. The picture showed a small black cat with a small red ribbon around its neck. "She is apparently extremely fond of the cat. But for some reason, it seems that it has run away, again, and she's contracted us to retrieve it"

"Really…" Naruto replied as Kakashi took the papers to sign. The forms were soon filled out and Kakashi lead the team to the door. The picture was still in Naruto's hands, having just shown it to his teammates.

"I doubt we'll have much trouble" the blonde spoke up.

"I wouldn't be so confident Naruto" Iruka warned, "Most of the genin who have taken this mission have been frustrated with it to no end. I think a few of them have actually tried to kill the thing" he finished, the slight hint of malice in his voice betraying the fact that he had had _personal_ experience with what he was talking about.

Naruto though, simply formed a confident grin on his face.

"Well, I'm not most genin" he retorted as Team 7 left the room.

Walking down the stairs towards the exit, Naruto gazed at the picture again, as if trying to discern something from it, before closing his eyes and letting out a soft sigh.

"_Divisions 2, 5, 9 and 12, commence recon team deployment under Protocol: Eagle Eye. Teams are to assume Specter formation until otherwise commanded. Further orders will be given as the situation develops. Target information is being transmitted now"_

"_Yes sir!"_

Like he had said before, Naruto was certainly _not_ most genin.

* * *

AN: Well, there we go. I may not have broken my record again but I think I did well. I know, rather odd leaving a cliffhanger when their about to go on a D-rank mission, but it just seemed like a good place to stop. And I know that most of you would rather have an update sooner then later.

And I finally formally introduce the persona's (sort of). As for what their like personality wise…

Antharos: Imagine a cross between Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach) and HK-47 (KOTOR)

Varsee: No real comparison to anyone. Sort of a male Hinata without the shyness/indecisiveness combined with Hanatarou Yamada (Bleach)

Zechs: Think L mixed with Shikamaru

Xenos: Not much of a comparison to anyone. He's just the stereotypical cheery free-spirited guy from just about any anime

Drak: Basically think Caboose (RvB) only more random.

And yes, the quote is from .hack// G.U.

Next Chapter: DIE FLUFFY!

Will Tora survive? Will Sasuke ever get over his obsession with vengeance? And will Naruto and his clones ever get pancakes?

Read and Review


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

**Chapter IX**

**DIE FLUFFY!**

* * *

"_Chief, target is moving south, bearing 197. Speed has not changed. Should we move to intercept?"_

"_Negative. Leave it be for now. I think my dear 'teammate' needs another lesson in humility"_ Naruto answered over the mental link.

"_Understood"_ the clone commander replied as the link was cut.

"Hey, I think I see it" Naruto spoke into the radio headset Kakashi had given them as they had split up to find the cat. In retrospect, it was an entirely unnecessary maneuver as the recon teams Naruto deployed had already located the feline as soon as Kakashi had finished passing out the radio's and giving them the plan instructions. In fact, Naruto and his clones could have completed this mission completely on their own. But Naruto also knew that Kakashi would never go for that. They were a _team_. A highly dysfunctional team in Naruto's opinion but a team nonetheless. And like a team, they had to do these things together. Something that made Naruto wonder if the old man would let him take D-rank missions on his own. With his clones doing the work of several D-ranks at once, he could start raking in a lot of money very easily

And so, Naruto had decided to let his teammates find the animal on their own. I mean, this was supposed to be a kind of training for them, and if he could do it so easily, why take away from their learning experience? That, and it was rather hilarious to watch Sasuke and Sakura run aimlessly around Konoha like headless chickens without a clue were they were going. The whole display made Naruto shake his head in amusement/disappointment, as he was sure Kakashi was as well, wherever he was. He had actually just decided to give them a little hand.

Which brings us back to the currant situation.

"_(pant) Where? (pant)" _he heard Sakura, not even trying to hide her exhaustion.

"I think it's heading south, towards the market district" Naruto answered.

"_I'll be right there"_ Sasuke said, hiding his panting a bit better.

"Um, aren't you something like on the other side of Konoha? I think I could bag it faster"

"_Shut it dobe! I'll capture this damn cat!"_

"_Yeah! Go Sasuke-kun"_

"Uh, Okay then" Naruto said before turning off his radio and opening a mental link to his clones.

"_Find Sasuke's location and calculate when and where he should reach the cat"_

"_Yes sir"_

A few seconds later, the clone responded.

"_Sir, calculations put intercept point roughly 200 meters south-west, bearing 235 in approximately 55 seconds"_

"_Understood. Attention Divisions 3, 6 and 7. Deploy Interdictor teams to grid Xi-37. Teams are to await further orders upon arrival"_

"_Yes sir!"_

Naruto cut the link as he leapt to the next building, leaping across rooftops at high speed. Somehow, he could tell this was going to be, at the very least, interesting.

* * *

'_I love it when I'm right'_

What Naruto was witnessing now, was incredibly funny to say the least.

Sasuke Uchiha, rookie of the year, and the so-called genius, was getting his ass handed to him.

By a cat.

Said Uchiha was currently running around the empty street like a headless chicken, occasionally running into a trashcan or telephone poll. The reason being that his vision was obscured by the cat that seemed to be trying to rip his face off. While Tora had at first appeared like a simple scared cat on the run, the minute Sasuke had come running at it, it had seemingly transformed into a feral predator.

Sakura looked on in shock and terror, but somehow continuing to cheer her beloved Uchiha on.

Kakashi seemed to be ignoring the situation while reading his porn from under a nearby awning.

Naruto… was filming with a camera, a wicked grin on his face.

Sakura, who now just seemed to notice Naruto, suddenly screamed to him.

"Naruto you BAKA!! Don't just stand there! HELP HIM!!"

Naruto didn't even give her a glance.

"No"

"Goddammit Naruto! Go help him! That things hurting Sasuke-kun!"

Now Naruto did glance towards her as he spoke, but in a lower, more exasperated tone.

"I'm sorry, I've contracted 'I don't care'. Shut up"

Sakura looked about ready to start to try to pummel Naruto again (keyword: **try**) when Sasuke was finally able to rip the cat off his now-thoroughly mauled face. The cat landed gracefully on its feet and was instantly running off.

Of course, this immediately grabbed Sakura's attention, and she was almost instantly at Sasuke's side asking him if he was okay, to which he merely stood up and shoved her away from him.

"Wow. I can understand me beating the crap out of you, but getting your ass handed to you by a _cat_? Man Sasuke, for all your egotistical babble, you're not much of a rookie of the year"

"Shut up" Sasuke growled. "And where's my headband?" he asked as he noticed that the symbol of his shinobi status had been knocked off in the tussle.

"I thought you were a type of mustard" Naruto asked in a curious tone.

"Huh?"

"Like I said, I thought you were a type of mustard" Naruto repeated, as if it was nothing odd.

"What?" Sasuke asked, his face once again assuming the 'WTF?' expression.

"I like spaghetti too"

"Wait… What?!" Sasuke stammered, trying to make sense of what Naruto was saying, as well as Sakura, who was just as confused.

"It's over there" Naruto said, pointing behind them.

"What? The spaghetti?" Sasuke asked, thinking he might have finally gotten the insane blonde's routine.

"No, your headband" Apparently not.

"…"

"…"

"The answer to your other question is; 'That's right, you didn't'"

"I didn't have another question"

"That's right, you didn't"

"… Naruto… Just shut up"

"What? You're just jealous because you thought it was funny and shrubberies can be an essential part of a person's diet and make excellent pets!"

Blank stares.

"You know it's true"

As everyone was giving him the 'is he insane?' look again, Naruto got a message from one of his Captains.

"_Chief, the target has changed course. It's circling around towards the market district. It'll be pretty hard to track in there. Permission to intercept?"_

"_Permission granted Rex. I'm on my way"_

"_Yes sir!"_

* * *

'_This is too easy'_ Naruto thought as he leaned against a chimney. The cat had gotten up the rooftops and, thanks to the very dense housing in this area of Konoha, was easily dashing along, chased by a squad of his clones.

Naruto meanwhile, was lying in wait with about five times that many, waiting for the cat to get in close enough for them to spring their trap. This was how you retrieved a cat.

"_Alright Rex, just a little more" "Wedge, get ready to move in"_

"_Sir!"_

Naruto smirked as the cat approached, Rex and his squad close behind. Gathering chakra to his feet, Naruto prepared to leap at the cat.

"_NOW!"_

With that, Naruto released the chakra in his feet in a burst of speed, shooting forward in front of the cat, flanked by Wedge and the other clones. The cat froze in place as Naruto and his clones stood in front of it, a victorious smirk on their faces. Then it did something none of them were expecting.

It hissed loudly and jumped on Naruto.

Caught off guard, Naruto tried to move away, preventing the cat from latching on his face like it had to Sasuke, but it still seemed to grip onto his shirt, and made a swipe at the blonde's face. Naruto grimaced slightly as he felt the stinging pain of the claws across his face, then again. In a reflexive rage, Naruto released a blast of KI at the creature, causing it to finally leap off of him and take off like the Shinigami himself was after its soul.

Rex and Wedge made to go after it, but it seemed to already be gone. The entire altercation had taken place in a few seconds, and some of the clones were still frozen in shock at the cat's ferocity.

"Damn it!" Naruto swore as he wiped the small amount of blood from his face, the wounds already healed by Kyuubi. It was then that he noticed something. Something very… _very_ grave.

As he wiped his face clean of blood, he became aware of a certain… dampness on his shirt. Right where the cat had been clinging. A dampness that smelled quite repulsive.

"Uh… Chief…" Rex began as he noticed it, and Naruto looking at it with widened eyes, "is that…-"

"Yes Rex… I do believe it is" Naruto spoke in a dark, guarded tone, and all of the clones around him began to shiver at it. They knew that tone. A tone that promised much pain and suffering to whatever had called it forth. It meant only one thing.

They weren't talking to Naruto anymore. Antharos was here. And from the redness that had bled into Naruto's eyes, he was PISSED!

Slowly bringing his left hand to the same ear, Naruto concentrated chakra, communicating in the same dark, haunting tone that was all the scarier from its subtlety.

"_Divisions 11 and 13… Deploy the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. teams… Protocol: HARBINGER… Proceed with Level: OMEGA. I WANT THAT THING'S HEAD BY 1300 HOURS! Is that clear?"_

"_Crystal sir"_ came a low voice that seemed to be brimming with eagerness.

Tora the cat, had best begin its will.

* * *

_So many… Too many…_

_The dark-haired one… The one with a black chicken for hair… It had been no consequence… No problem… Just like all the others… But the other…_

_The blonde… The monster… The kitsune_

_It had chased her… THEY had chased her… _

_Stalked her… Stalked her like a hungry predator…_

_Gone they were… She had fled the kitsunes… Fled to the secret spot…_

_Her secret spot… Her place of rest… Of hiding…_

_Where no one had found her before… Her sanctuary…_

_She was safe…_

_Shivered at the thought of the kitsunes… of their leader… The monster… Reek of evil… of hate…_

_Different he was… Different from all the others…_

_Terror… That's what he was… A monster…_

_Among the trees… Safe she was…_

_No… Not safe… Not yet… Not til she reaches her true sanctuary…_

_The glade… The hidden place… The clearing… Only she knew of…_

_Finally here… now she can relax… So beautiful… she would rest here… until leaving again… food she would need to find… Danger she was in outside…_

_But not in here… No one would ever find her here…_

_The trees… great and mighty… They would shield her… As they always had…_

_The colors… So pretty… The blues of the flowers… the greens of the trees… Their greens and browns and flash of dark orange…_

_Wait… dark orange…?_

_Orange flashes… circling the glade… just beyond her vision…_

_The feeling… the terror… _

_No… _

_She had been found… by the kitsunes…_

_The kitsunes had found her…_

_Terror… pure terror… couldn't move… couldn't breath… So much terror… pairs crimson dots staring out from the trees… of predators…_

_Ran she did… desperate to get away… they would kill her… destroy her… and feast on her flesh…_

_A great roar… The sky raining fire… Fire all around… _

_Fire… Fire everywhere… all around her… on the trees… on the ground… in a great circle… a circle of fire… a circle of hell… _

_Nowhere to run… nowhere to hide…_

_The terror… the fear… greater then ever… _

_Her heart… being crushed… _

_Her lungs… being dried… _

_Her stomach… being churned…_

_They stepped out of the shadows… Gazing down with unholy eyes… just beyond the flames… the kitsunes… the monsters…_

_No… No monsters… DEMONS… terrible demons from hell… kitsune demons… _

_Now she understands… The blonde… the leader… The Kyuubi…_

_The great demon lord… she has angered Him… _

_Now… his legions he has sent… to destroy her… destroy her for her insolence…_

_No hope she has…_

_No peace she can have… So much fear… so much terror…_

_Steel flew… the knives… the knives of steel…_

_Prepared she tries to be… to embrace the cold darkness…_

_But nothing comes… no knives strike her… all around her they are… close… but not in her…_

_Why…_

_Is he sparing her…_

_Hopeful she becomes…_

_Perhaps… survive she will…_

_The knives begin to glow…_

_What is this… _

_What is he doing…_

_The roar returns… The sky rains fire once again…_

_The fire… coming right at her… The great balls of fire…_

_The steel glows brighter…_

_Bright light… fire… burning… pain… so much pain…_

_Fur incinerated… skin melted… no hope… no hope… _

_Please… let it end…_

_Let it end…_

_Let it end…_

_Let it end…_

_She knows not but pain… and sorrow… the demon lord has come for her… he had come for her soul…_

_The demon has come…_

_He has been slighted…_

_He has been wronged…_

_He has been angered…_

_He has come…_

_And demons are not to be crossed…_

_The hot steel cuts through her neck…_

_Oblivion takes her… in its cold stare…_

_No peace she shall know…_

_In that Eternity of Fire and Sorrow… _

* * *

Naruto smirked darkly as he watched the pillar of burning fire. The once peaceful clearing had been reduced to a burning wasteland. No way that infernal creature had survived that he thought with a cackle. The S.T.A.H.K.E.R. commander landed next to him, breaking him from his evil laugh.

"Well Fordo?"

"Mission accomplished sir" the demonic looking blonde replied, a dark and evil smirk planted on his face too as he held up the charred, severed head of Tora the cat. The other hand was brought to his forehead at an angle with the hand itself flat in a strange (to anyone else) salute.

Taking the severed head, Naruto looked at it with an evil and amused stare, holding it in his hand.

"Alas, poor fluffy. I hated thee… And that's why you're dead!" with that, Naruto broke out into an overly dramatic evil cackle, the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. teams laughing in a similar tone.

Behind the cackling blonde, Rex, Wedge and the other recon clones shivered slightly at the sight of their commander and the special forces clones.

S.T.A.H.K.E.R. **S**pecialized and **T**actical **A**dvanced **H**unter/**K**iller, **E**xtermination and **R**econnaissance. These clones were the latest in the Chief's arsenal of terror and mayhem that was Kage Bunshin, and probably the scariest. They were Naruto's version of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops. The elite special forces. Clones formed by Naruto himself by using Kyuubi's youki. The result being a group of clones that were naturally stronger and more powerful then any other under the chief's control. And they were prone to be a bit more… psychotic too.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA… Okay I need to stop doing that" Naruto said as he finally finished his maniacal laughter and got a hold on himself.

Tossing the head to Wedge, Naruto began barking out orders.

"Wedge, get that to M&C. I want it stuffed and mounted by the end of tomorrow"

"Yes sir!" the clone replied as he caught the head and he and his squad saluted before shunshin'ing away.

"The rest of you, head back to base" he continued as he turned to the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. teams.

"Sir!" they saluted before shunshin'ing themselves.

"Rex, I want you and your squad to remain here. Keep my teammate's occupied until I get back here with our stand-in from R&D"

"Stand-in, sir?" the captain asked, a bit confused.

"What? You didn't think I completely lost it back there did you? Give me some credit Rex. Don't worry, I've got everything under control"

"Uh… Yes sir. Whatever you say, sir" the clone said as he saluted, still a bit confused as to what his commander (and creator) was planning.

"Great. I'll be back soon with the 'target'" Naruto replied as he vanished with his own shunshin.

Feeling a little miffed at being left out of the loop like that, Rex gathered his squad together as he barked out orders.

'_Well, at least this might be interesting'_

* * *

Annnnnd… DONE

Well, there yah have it, Chapter 9. If you haven't figured it out, I don't like cats very much. Oh well. And I have no idea were that weird demented version of a Shakespeare quote came from, but oh well.

And for those of you that noticed, yes I am using Star Wars names for the clones. Why? Well it only seems appropriate seeing as they are Naruto's 'clone army'.

By they way, the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. idea is mine. I didn't take it from anywhere, and if by some odd occurrence you find it somewhere else, I never heard of that.

And I hope you enjoyed the Sasuke bashing. More will come.

Finally, I've been thinking about this for a while, but I need suggestions. Concerning the elemental combinations (wind plus water equals ice, earth plus water equals wood, etc.) does anyone have an idea of what lightning and water would make? Or lightning and wind? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

(P.S. Studies have shown that the best cure for 'I don't care' syndrome is a large lethal weapon shoved into your face. Please prove that you are not afflicted with this disease by pressing the nice, pretty button with the word 'Review' on it)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter X**

**Screw The Fists!**

**I have Mone-er… Swords.**

* * *

Dozen's of rocket's shot into the air, screaming upwards, only to explode in a dazzeling display of light and sound.

April 21st. Also known as Armistice Day. The 15th anniversary of the signing of the Ame-Kusa Treaty, which had ended the Third Great Shinobi War.

And one of the most celebrated of Konoha's holidays.

It was certainly a holiday that Naruto could get into. He wasn't much the type for such things, but he could certainly participate in the festival. Unlike the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack, most people left him alone. He hadn't really paid much attention to holidays like these in the past aside from the fact that he had gotten out of school. History had board him back then. Now he knew how foolish that was.

The last few three weeks had gone, if anything, quite well.

They hadn't needed to bother capturing the cat again, thanks to the henge'd kage bunshin Naruto had delivered in its place. The clone had been highly reinforced so nothing short of a lethal blow to a normal cat would dispell it. And just because he was extra paranoid, Naruto had given the order for the stand-in to run off a few more times, only to be captured by teams other then his. That way, if the cat was dispelled somehow, some other team would get the blame.

Sasuke and Sakura still seemed to hate him with a passion, but he could easily scar them for life to keep them off of him, or just have a clone take his place and have Kyuubi filter out the memories of their annoying presence.

He had too admit, the training potential of Kage Bunshin was nigh-infinite. And it wasn't just limited to shinobi training either, something that in of itself had been quite helpful. His chakra control was already through the roof. Naruto had had dozens of clones (under henge of course) pouring over books in the libraries of Konoha going into everything from world history to engineering. After all, knowledge was power in the world. And with Kage Bunshin, Naruto could accumulate all he needed. Of course, there was the issue of the fact that dispelling them and accumulating that knowledge all at once tended to give him a monster head-ache, and that was only when he had tried it after a day of training. He didn't even _want_ to know what would happen if he tried it with purely mental information. Thankfully, he had come up with a rather simple solution. He would have his teams of training clones go through a day of learning whatever information on whatever topic he was interested, and then, when the day was up and he was asleep, the clones would dispell themselves. Since Naruto would be asleep at the time, the information would be filed away in his head with no pain or trouble whatsoever. And even if there was some kind of catastrophic mass-dispelling of some kind, Kyuubi would always be on hand to act as a failsafe, blocking the information out until Naruto could safely absorb it, or letting it in gradually.

The fox had been a tremendous help to Naruto over the past few weeks. Not only was the Bijuu helpful in his youki training, but he could also offer good advice from time to time.

So now, he was absently wandering around the market district, which had been converted into a sort of fare-grounds for all sorts of stands and games.

He was alone. Last he heard, Kakashi had left there team meeting after giving them the day off to go look at anything that might appeal to his perverted mindset. Sasuke was probably at home, considering how he seemed to have scoffed at the idea of going to the fare. And Sakura of course, was stalking him like a 50-year old pedophile.

(somewhere in Otogakure, a certain sanin sneezed)

But at the same time, she was probably trying to get him to go to the festival, with her on a date of course.

'_Yeah… Good luck with that. You're going to need it. A lot of it'_

But Hinata had promised to meet him around here somewhere. And Shikamaru had mentioned that Chouji was going to try an eating challenge posted by a one of the merchants who made some kind of foreign barbecue. That he had to see.

However, all that could wait for now. At the moment, he was looking for something. Naruto had wandered into the area where all the traveling merchants set up their stands and tents, you could probably find just about anything around here. But there was one kind of tent or stand in particular that Naruto was looking for.

One that sold weapons. Specifically, bladed weapons.

Over the past few weeks of team training and sparring, Naruto had come to a very quick realization. And one he was not too surprised at.

His taijutsu sucked.

He _could not_, in any way, shape, or form, do taijutsu. It was true that maybe his 'Counter Strike' style could give him an edge, but that only worked against people _slower_ then him. As Kakashi proved in a sparring match, it was useless against opponents who were faster or just plain better at taijutsu. So, since he simply could not use taijutsu at all, he had decided on the only naturally response.

Try kenjutsu.

And at the same time, Naruto could admit that using a sword had far more appeal to him then simple hand-to-hand combat, and not just because he thought it was a whole lot cooler. Kenjutsu was not used much in the shinobi world, as many considered mastering it to be far more difficult then taijutsu. But Naruto could easily see how effective it could be. A bladed weapon is far more lethal then a punch or kick, thus increasing his effectiveness at killing his opponents. Hell, he had proven that quite well against Mizuki. Also, a sword would have great potential against opponents who used taijutsu. I mean come on, can you block a sword with a punch or arm block? I think not. And if he got good at it, only the fastest and most skilled taijutsu users could best him in C.Q.C. And finally, should he ever encounter the rare shinobi who _did_ use kenjutsu, he'd be ready.

At first, Naruto had considered just using clones to henge into swords for him to use. But that idea was quickly squashed. I mean, why waste clones on making swords when you can have real swords and use those clones for other purposes? That, and there wouldn't be the danger of the swords randomly 'poofing' away in the middle of a battle.

And so, now the blonde shinobi was casually wandering down the row of tents, glancing left and right looking for what he wanted.

He'd certainly get a more varied selection here with all the merchants from around the elemental countries, and since no one knew him, there was no chance of any 'anti-demon brat' animosity like he had found at so many other shops in Konoha.

Finally, after about thirty minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for. The tent was non-descript and not very flashy. But it was rather large, and had a sign reading 'Shinobi and Samurai Weapons' above the entrance. All in all, it was certainly worth checking out.

And so, Naruto walked over, casually moving the flap aside and stepping inside.

Within the tent, was a sight that made Naruto let out a low whistle as his eyes widened in amazement. There were probably enough weapons in here to outfit a small army. Dozens of racks lined the edges of the tent filled with all kinds of weapons ranging from shurikens and kunai to nodachis and zanbatous.

Wondering briefly where all this stuff came from, Naruto glanced around looking for the owner. He caught what looked like someone moving around behind one of the shelves.

"Excuse me? Anyone here?"

"Ah! A customer! Wait just a second, I'll be right with you" came what sounded like an old, but still energetic voice from behind the shelves.

After a few seconds, an elderly man emerged. He seemed to be very old, maybe even older then Sarutobi, most of his hair was gone, and what was left was a pale gray. He walked up to Naruto, bereft of any kind of cane or aid. It seemed like even in old age, he had kept his physique, lending Naruto the theory that this guy was probably an ex-shinobi or samurai, which would explain where he got all this stuff.

"So, shinobi-san" he began as he noticed Naruto's headband, "What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for a sword" Naruto replied, not one for small talk with total strangers.

"Ah, looking to try your hand at kenjutsu eh? Why? Most of you shinobi have all your taijutsu. Most of the shinobi that come in here are just looking for some kunai or shuriken. What makes you so different?" the man asked, clearly a little surprised, but more curious.

"Well, my taijutsu sucks for one thing, and I thought, 'Which is easier to kill with? Your fists or a really sharp object?'" Naruto replied with a small grin.

The old man reaction was a hearty laugh. "Good answer kid. So, what are you looking for exactly? There are many kind of swords to use, and not all are suitable to one person"

Naruto glanced upwards as he adopted a thoughtful pose. He hadn't thought about that. So, he just decided to take the easier road.

"Well, what do you suggest? You obviously seem to know your stuff, Mr…?"

"Muramasa. And that makes you about the smartest customer I've had in a while who was looking for swords. Most time they're just some hot shot kid looking for a 'cool-looking' sword that doesn't even suit them. My bet is most of them either abandoned them, or dead. So, rather smart move Shinobi-san"

"Naruto, please. I never liked honorifics"

"Alright then, Naruto. Well, let me take a look at you" Muramasa replied as he walked around the boy who was just as tall as he was, trying to gauge his physique.

"Hm… Well then, you're not very bulky so something big like a zanbatou is out of the question, and you're too big for something like a wakizashi. Were you thinking of any kind of qualities for your weapon by any chance?"

"Actually yes" Naruto replied, "I was looking for something with a good reach, but at the same time something that I can defend with as well. And I'd prefer a pair of swords too" he'd been practicing with his clones for the past few days, experimenting with different sword sizes, but oddly enough, none of the different swords he had his bunshin henge into felt quite right. "And something that looks cool too if it isn't to much trouble"

Muramasa chuckled lightly. This kid was pretty interesting. On one hand, he sounded like most of the samurai wannabes and other hot shots that didn't have half a clue what they were doing, but at the same time, the way he listed the qualities of the swords he wanted said that he had done some thinking and probably some practicing on this as well.

"Well… I think I have something that might interest you then. Follow me" he said as he started walking to the back of the tent. Curious, Naruto followed, unsure of what to expect.

The old man looked along the stands and plaques that were set up to display some of the more exotic weapons in his inventory, until finally coming to a stop.

"Ah, there it is" he said, gesturing to one plaque. Naruto followed his gaze, then raised an eyebrow in further curiosity. They were certainly interesting.

On the round wooden plaque hung a pair of swords the likes of which Naruto had never seen. The hilt was nothing unusual, though it was slightly shorter then that of a katana, but at the top was a wide hand guard, far wider then that of any sword he'd seen before. Also, instead of forming a complete circle around the hilt, it merely had two 'arms' that went out on each side of the blade. The guards curved in towards the blade itself and seemed to be about two to three inches long. The blades themselves were what interested Naruto the most. They were about as long as a katana, and retained a shallow curve, but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of the long, narrow blade of a katana, these blades widened as the blade got longer, until they were about six to eight inches wide. Also, near the end, the back of the blade curved inward at a sharp angle, doubling back slightly until moving back up to meet the front to form a small, pointed tip. Finally, Naruto could tell that unlike a normal katana, these blades had an edge on both sides. All in all, they were quite interesting, and pretty cool looking too.

"Interesting eh?" Muramasa spoke up, "swords like these haven't been used much in probably a hundred years, maybe more. They were used by desert nomads in what we call Wind Country now. I made these as bet really. I saw the drawings of them at an archeological dig, and one of the diggers bet me I couldn't remake a pair. I proved him wrong. They're called 'Scimitars'"

"Scimitars huh?" Naruto said slowly. It certainly had a nice ring to it.

"Yeah. I actually haven't been able to sell these yet. They're not as sharp as a normal katana, and most swordsman don't like the double-edge feature"

"True… But wouldn't the wider blade make it stronger? And the oversized hand guard seems like it would come in handy against another swordsman"

"You've got a good eye kid" Muramasa replied, clearly impressed. "And that's not all, the pointed tip is actually just as sharp as the blade of a katana as well"

"So in other words, it can withstand more damage then a katana, and has the same lethality potential?"

"Yep"

"How much?"

The old man could only smile as he chuckled.

A few minutes later, Naruto walked out of the tent, a few hundred ryo shorter then he was when he went in, but ryo well spent. He had also bought a harness that the sword's scabbards would hang from. The harness consisted of two straps that wrapped diagonally across his torso, over the shoulders and around the hips. The harness could be adjusted easily, and it fit nicely under his coat, along with the scabbards themselves, allowing the swords to rest underneath his coat, only the hilts pointing out from behind his shoulders.

Yep. Things were definitely looking up.

"Naruto-kun!"

The smile on Naruto's face widened as he turned to see Hinata running up to him.

"Hey Hinata. Have they started already?"

"Hai. I think so" Hinata said as she reached him, panting slightly. She had run close to clear across the market district looking for him.

"Okay. The tent's on the east side near Ichiraku's, right?"

"Yeah" Hinata answered, already realizing what Naruto was about to do.

"Right then" the blonde replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hang on" he warned as he held his other hand in a seal.

Hinata smiled at his joking as she felt a rush of air and a popping sound as the two genin disappeared in a poof of smoke.

* * *

That had been a fun night, Naruto mused as he walked towards training field seven. It was Monday, and since the festival had taken place on a Saturday this year, and Kakashi gave them the day off on Sunday's, he had gotten a whole day to train with his new swords, which with Kage Bunshin equaled something more like three years.

'_Huh, I wonder how the emo and the banshee will react. Probably something entertaining'_

The scene he found at Training ground Seven was nothing new to the blonde.

Sasuke was busy kicking at a training post while Sakura was staring at him dreamily. Business as usual it seemed. Checking his watch, Naruto noticed that they still had about fifteen minutes before Kakashi got there, just enough time for a little training.

"Hey guys. What's up?" he said as he walked towards them, giving a half-wave as they noticed him. Sakura seemed to bristle slightly at being referred to as a 'guy' though.

"Hey! I'm not a 'guy'! That's sexist!"

Naruto gave her his normal curious tone as he replied. "Hey, that's insulting. I never discriminate, I hate you both equally"

Sakura's mouth hung open slightly after that, obviously weirded out while Sasuke just rolled his eyes in exasperation as he stopped practicing some kicks to the post. He wasn't sure either of them could _ever_ get used to Naruto's sense of humor. It was an odd amalgam of feigned arrogance, exasperation, and pure insanity, and it was only funny if it wasn't directed at you.

But as Naruto walked past them, ignoring Sakura's sad attempt at a death glare, Sasuke noticed something different about the blonde. To be more precise, the two hilts emerging from under his jacket.

"Hey dobe, what's with the swords?" he spoke up.

"Oh, these? They're to cut things. Preferably people I don't like" Naruto answered with an innocent yet strange tone that both genin had come to associate the blonde with. His tone then turned from innocent-strange, to innocent-_creepy_, "Have you ever seen blood first hand? It is _oh_ so beautiful…" he spoke in that extremely creepy voice that made him sound like a crazed psychopath.

"Uh… no" Sakura said tentatively, very weirded out now.

"Oh it is quite pretty… yes it is. Spraying everywhere in the moonlight… It's like a nice little sprinkler of death…"

"Okay Naruto… you can shut up now" Sakura said again, trying to block out the mental images before you became ill.

"…And it also has a wondrous taste to it"

"EWW!!" Sakura screamed as her face began turning green, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she continued as she held her hands over her ears as she ran around in crazy circles.

"Oh but that's nothing compared to the heart. Mmmm… tasty"

With that Sakura turned completely green as she began emptying the contents of her stomach on the ground next to her.

Seemingly unaware of his teammate's condition, Naruto turned back to Sasuke, who was now gaping in disgust and the usual 'WTF?' expression that came from hanging around Naruto too much.

"So to answer your question, that's why I have these swords" he finished with one of those creepy grins of his as he walked off to the center of the training field.

Sasuke for his part, was at least acclimated to the sight of blood that the mental image didn't make him throw up. He shook his head in exasperation once again at the blonde's antics. He had long ago stopped trying to 'surpass' the blonde, mainly because he wasn't even sure what that could even mean. From what he could tell, using what ever method the blonde had for getting stronger would probably make him just as crazy as Naruto himself, and he'd much rather obtain the power needed to beat Itachi with his sanity intact thank you very much.

(Let us observe a moment of silence for the irony of that statement)

The sound of several poofs of smoke sounding near him drew Sasuke out of his thoughts as he saw Naruto creating several dozen Kage Bunshin. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as they had done many time before when he saw the blonde use that technique, though not as much in envy as when he had in the past. In the time after their genin exam, and his discovery that the blonde knew this technique, Sasuke had researched it himself. Partially in hopes of gaining another strong technique, but also merely because he wanted to show the blonde up so badly for making him look like a fool. But what he had discovered had only disappointed him and now, it almost disturbed him.

According to the information he had gathered, there was a very good reason why the Kage Bunshin technique was classified as an A-class kinjutsu. Using it required more chakra then most people even had. The sheer amount of chakra required for the technique was phenomenal. The reason being of course that one was literally creating identical clones out of pure chakra. Most people didn't even have enough for one. Sasuke knew that even he would only have enough chakra for barely two, and even then, the technique would leave him completely drained. There was absolutely no way that a genin would have enough chakra to use the jutsu to any great extent. So how could Naruto, someone who should be no better physically then him, create so many. And there was something else, something that disturbed him even more. From reading up on the jutsu's history, Sasuke knew that even Jounin were hard pressed to create more then fifty at a time. But he had seen Naruto, a mere genin, create hundreds at a time, something that even an ANBU shouldn't have been able to manage. This meant that Naruto had the raw chakra capacity on par with that of a _Kage_.

Needless to say, Sasuke had been far more wary of the blonde from then on.

At the very least, he finally knew how the blonde was learning things so fast. With the kage bunshin's ability to relay the clone's memories back to the original upon destruction, Naruto could accumulate literally months or even _years_ of experience in a single day of training. According to his math, with 500 clones training at the same time, Naruto would be accumulating the equivalent of almost _eight months_ of training in only twelve hours. Certainly a scary thought.

But that still left a very important question. Where was the dobe getting all of this chakra? Sasuke could understand the maybe he had unnaturally large chakra coils (which would explain his horrid control during the academy years), but this was just plain ridiculous. Even if he was creating them over long periods of time, waiting for his chakra to replenish before making more, he still wouldn't have been able to make the hundreds they had seen at Kakashi's exam. So where was he getting it? Was it some kind of bloodline? After thinking this over, Sasuke had finally confronted the blonde about it last week, hoping that maybe if he could find the blonde's method, maybe he could replicate it for his own use. But, as part of him had expected, Naruto was less then helpful. Sasuke remembered the encounter well…

"_Hey dobe"_

"_Hm?"_

"_I need to know something. Tell me, how the hell do you have so much chakra? How are you able to make so many Bunshin at once?"_

"_Hm… tell me Sasuke, do I like you?"_

"_Uh… no"_

"_Then there's your answer"_

In retrospect, he guessed he should have expected the blonde to be tight-lipped about his secret. Whatever it was, it gave him an incredible trump card. Both in that he could accumulate skill and techniques like lightning, and that he could basically create his own private army with a single hand-sign. Not to mention the fact that if he could use such a charka-heavy jutsu to such an incredible extent, the what other high-powered jutsu's could he have up his sleeve? He already knew that Naruto could use Bunshin Daibakuha, and he also had an inkling that he could use the Shuriken Kage Bunshin, both of which are very handy. So to sum things up, Naruto was growing at a rate that Sasuke just couldn't match right now. If he was ever going to surpass the blonde, then he either needed to find out a way to get that kind of massive chakra capacity for himself, or find someway to out-think the dobe. But Sasuke also knew that they second plan would never work either. Though he would never he admit it out loud, he knew that Naruto was a lot smarter then he was. Maybe it came from being such a nut? Despite his track record at the academy, he had flawlessly seen through Kakashi's plan while Sasuke had fallen for it completely.

So in the end, Sasuke had resigned himself to admitting that the blonde was a better shinobi then him. At least until he activated his Sharingan. No matter how strong the blonde became, he would never be able to compete with the crimson eyes of the Uchiha linage. Then they would see who was the weak one.

Sakura on the other hand, continued throwing up.

* * *

Hinata panted slightly as she as she dodged a strike from a clawed hand.

Like other genin teams, Team 8 practiced with daily training sessions lasting at least three hours, often times more. Kurenai-sensei had been very diligent in their training, often having them spar to keep their taijutsu skills up. Right now, Hinata was sparring with Kiba while her sensei was testing Shino and genjutsu detection and dispelling. At first, she never had Hinata practice with that portion of their training, as her Byakugan would allow her to instantly detect the chakra used for it, and see through it with no trouble. But a few weeks ago, Hinata, at Naruto's suggestion, had asked for tutoring herself, to Kurenai's surprise. When asked why, she simply repeated what Naruto-kun had told her.

"_And what happens when you can't use Byakugan? What if an enemy jutsu keeps you from using it? Or you don't have the chakra necessary to keep it active? Then what? You're screwed basically. Knowing how to do that without Byakugan won't hinder your skills, and you'll be prepared for the unknown"_

Though Hinata also had an inkling that Naruto was also having her get training on countering genjutsus so she could help him perfect his own anti-genjutsu techniques that she knew he was working on. Not that she minded any.

Naruto had already been an enormous help with her training. He had been right that while Kurenai-sensei was an excellent shinobi and sensei, there were some things that she just couldn't help her with. That was where Naruto came in. Though he hadn't told her outright, Hinata knew that the blonde would prefer it if she kept their training sessions secret, just as he would. She could understand it too. Kurenai-sensei might think she was undermining her position as a sensei, not to mention that it might make things a bit too troublesome as Shikamaru would say. Hinata knew that in both their cases, discretion was usually a better course of action. It just made things easier.

However, I digress.

Right now, Hinata sparing with Kiba, and she had to admit, the pointers and advice Naruto-kun had given her were working wonders on the Inuzuka.

As she continued to duck and weave around the boy's punches, Naruto's words sounded in her head.

_"Always try to read your opponent. What kind of style do they use? What's their personality like? How do they fight? What strengths or weaknesses do they have?"_

Hinata deflected a punch, jumping back at the same time. Kiba seemed to be losing his cool.

"_Match a counter to what they use. If they concentrate on attacking, concentrate on defending. If they are hot-headed or rush in, draw out the fight. Conserve as much energy as possible. Make them waste their strength"_

Hinata smirked slightly. Kiba was far more winded then she was.

"_When people waste their strength, they get tired. When people get tired, they get sloppy. When people get sloppy, they start making mistakes"_

As Kiba came at her again, Hinata could see that his strikes were off. They were less coordinated. Sloppy.

"_Your agility and litheness are an advantage. Use them. Time is your ally. The longer you can drag a fight out, the more you can learn about your opponent. Your opponent will wear themselves out. If you can conserve your strength, you'll have the advantage"_

Hinata effortlessly dodged Kiba's strikes, much to his chagrin. He was slowing down. She could predict his movement's better. He was wearing himself out.

"_When you have worn them down, that is when you strike. You now know how they operate, their strengths, their weaknesses. They on the other hand, have only seen you defend. They are weakened, and so their defense will be weak too"_

The Hyuuga heiress knocked away a final punch before moving in close. Kiba was completely unprepared.

"_When you strike, you must be quick, precise, and most of all, efficient. We are ninja, not samurai. A strike must be directed to deal maximum damage with the least amount of effort. The faster, more precisely, and more efficiently you take down an enemy, the less energy you expend. Speed, precision, and efficiency. All of these make you expend less energy, giving you more for unforeseen complications. Never hesitate. Hesitation means death, not only for you, but for your teammates as well. That is what makes a skilled shinobi"_

Kiba's eyes widened as Hinata ducked under his right arm which she had just knocked away, planting her fist into his gut. But she didn't stop there. With a quick movement, Hinata moved her left hip pressing directly against Kiba's right, while she moved her free hand onto his back while grabbing a fistful of his shirt with her other hand. And with a quick tug and push, Kiba was flying head over heels before landing flat on his back, staring up wide-eyed at Hinata.

So caught up in the euphoria of victory, Hinata couldn't resist a smirk forming on her face as she spoke.

"You loose"

"Wha… What… How…" Kiba stuttered as he tried to find his voice. He had never been beaten _this_ badly before. He hadn't even gotten a single good hit in! And it was _Hinata_ no less! The girl that hadn't even been able to talk straight in the academy had just kicked his ass!

"Nice" was all Shino said from next to Kurenai.

The jounin herself could only smile with pride at her student. Hinata had progressed with incredible speed ever since they became a team. Not only in her skill, but also in her confidence. When she had first met the girl, she was a quivering mess of indecisiveness and self-degradation, things that she knew were no doubt the fault of her bastard father. But now, in only a few weeks after graduation, Hinata had undergone a transformation. She had gained the confidence she needed. She was still hesitant in some areas, and her social skills were rather dim, but in the area of combat and shinobi skill, she was almost an entirely different person. A true kunoichi. Kurenai was not so conceited that she thought that she herself was the one most responsible for this though. In all truth, she wasn't sure what exactly had given her the confidence she needed, but she had a feeling that Kakashi's blonde student, who she knew Hinata was infatuated with, had something to do with it.

But even then, the shy girl had a long way to go. As a person, she was still shy, often stuttering and keeping quiet in their team meetings. That in of itself puzzled Kurenai, if only slightly. It was almost like Hinata wasn't trying to prove herself to them. Instead, it seemed like she was trying to prove something to herself, or someone else. And Kurenai had an inkling as to who that someone could be. The outburst from her was also odd, but something that Kurenai had found happening more and more often with the girl. It was almost like when she was fighting, she entered a new personality. A new mindset. One that was confident, decisive and strong. It was completely unlike the old Hinata. Though one thing she had found was that this 'new' Hinata seemed to find Kiba annoying, so that might explain a few things. Oh well. It hadn't interfered with their teamwork, and it wasn't like she was alienating Kiba or Shino.

Kurenai smiled slightly again as she noticed Kiba complaining to Shino about how he 'got his ass kicked by a girl', while Shino gave a response she had come to associate with the odd bug-boy.

"Kiba"

"Yeah?" the dog boy stopped mid-rant.

"Back up, you're jamming my frequency"

"Wha… What's that supposed to mean? Can you believe what just happened?"

"It shouldn't be a surprise. You fail at life. Stuff like this is supposed to happen"

Kiba now gave Shino an annoyed look. Responses like this were becoming all the more common around the Aburame. It made him wonder if he had caught whatever mental illness Naruto and Shikamaru seemed to have.

Up in the trees around the training field, unseen and unnoticed by all, a hidden figure watched. He was their age, about twelve or thirteen. If seen, they might say he looked similar to Naruto Uzumaki, he was certainly wearing a similar attire. Except that his hear was a dark brown and laid down over his head in a messy manner.

The clone smiled as he witnessed the sight below him. The chief would certainly enjoy this.

* * *

Unknown to either of his teammates, a small smile spread across Naruto's face as he got the mental image from the Recon Private. Hinata was progressing at a rate far faster then he had first expected, especially in her skill level. It only reinforced his belief that she had far more potential then anyone first expected. The smile on his face widened as he recalled the first training session they had together. It was a day he would not soon forget that was sure.

_Flashback_

* * *

"You're early" Naruto said as he saw Hinata walking into the clearing behind the Yondaime's head. And she was, if only by a few minutes.

"Oh, sorry… we finished our mission kind of early and…"

Naruto stopped her by holding up a placating hand as he spoke, "Hey hey, I didn't say that was a bad thing. If anything, it's good. Now we have more time for working on stuff"

"Oh. Alright" Hinata replied. The night before had been a long one, though not from anxiety like sleepless nights she had had in the past. Instead of anxiety or worried, Hinata had been deep in thought. Musing over what Naruto had said to her over and over again. Half of her was willing to just accept what he told her at face value, and revel in the joy that she would be spending time with the boy she so adored, how he was noticing her, and how he was willing to be her friend. But the other half of her was thinking over what he had told her, and didn't want to do something like that. Remembering what he had said, she began to realize that just taking things at face value… that would be an insult to him.

She was thinking about this from her own thoughts of Naruto, and not what he had told her. About facing her fears, and becoming something new. The way that the other half of her, the one that simply wanted to revel in the joy of being close to Naruto… that was exactly what she didn't want to do. Naruto-kun wouldn't want that. She could just imagine him comparing her to Sakura and Ino if he knew about that. Hinata had almost gagged at that thought. Classmate or not, she had always held an animosity for Sakura. Partially out of jealousy for how Naruto had pursued her, but now that Naruto was no longer interested in her, she realized that it stemmed more from how she insulted and hurt the boy she loved. The point being that to Hinata, being likened to Sakura was like Naruto being likened to Sasuke. Both would find it very insulting.

So she found that she should be heading Naruto's advice, and thinking over what she wanted to become. The inner fire she had felt in herself back in the clearing with Naruto had come back in full force right then, and she realized just how right he was. He had opened a door for her. He had made her see past her own self-degradation. Now, she wanted to prove herself. To prove to him that he was right about her, and prove to herself that she was worthy of his praise, and prove to her clan just how wrong they were. It was only then that Hinata saw that she loved the new Naruto even more then the old one. The old Naruto may have been kind and innocent, but the new one was different. His kindness was not innocent and naive, but caring and understanding.

It was the kindness that came from a friend, a true friend. And that was what she saw in this new Naruto; a friend, just as he saw the same in her. The love for him was still there, but it was no longer love rooted in admiration and sympathy, but in understanding and caring. She still loved him, but if she could have him just as a friend, then that was good enough for her. His caring for her was not even rooted in self-interest. He was only interested in her own happiness. She supposed that it was because of the kindness she showed towards him in the academy. That because she had showed him kindness, he would reciprocate it back to her. It was a thought that warmed her heart so much. That realization of how this new Naruto worked. He was everything to so many people. To people like Sasuke and Sakura, he showed only his darkness, Antharos and Zechs. But to her, he had shown her his light, Xenos and Varsee. If you showed him animosity then you would get only animosity from him. But if you showed him kindness, then it was kindness you would receive in return.

It amazed her that for all his complexities, she had just read Naruto like an open book. Perhaps that said something of herself as well? Naruto-kun might say that. Now that she had thought it over, she had found that they were remarkably similar people underneath it all. Both were anti-social, most comfortable with those few that they knew. They valued general discretion with their actions, shying away from attention from those they did not know. And Hinata had now realized that she might even have multiple sides to herself as well, just like Naruto. Around Naruto she felt… stronger, more confident, and just plain better. She felt like she could tell him anything, and he would listen, no matter what it was. Conversely, she felt like she could listen to anything he decided to tell her, no matter what it was. Perhaps that was the underlying reason for her love for him? That they were such similar people? And if that were the case… would that mean that he could feel the same for her? Maybe, she had thought. But she had also decided that she would wait, bide her time. Become his friend before his lover.

"So anyway," Naruto spoke, breaking Hinata from her reverie, "You ready to get started?"

"Uh, yeah sure" Hinata replied. Despite her 'revelation', she still found that her shyness remained, even around Naruto, though it was noticeably lessened in his presence.

"Right. Well, for starters, how about a spar?"

"What?" Hinata spoke up, a little apprehensive at the thought.

"Hey, I need to see what you can do. And what better way then a mock battle" Naruto said like it was obvious.

"Yeah but… you could get hurt" Hinata replied, feeling more apprehensive at the thought of accidentally hurting her new friend.

"Whoa, I never said we'd be going all out on each other. Your Juuyken works by pushing chakra through your hands right?"

"Yeah"

"Then just don't use chakra. I'll be pulling punches too you know. Did you really think I'd want us fighting where we could get each other hurt?"

"Oh, yeah I guess you're right" the girl replied, feeling a little ashamed for thinking Naruto would do something as stupid as that. As Kurenai-sensei would say, 'think things out. Don't make blind assumptions'.

"Okay then," Naruto said as he took up an odd stance from Hinata's point of view. His left hand was coiled into a fist, but he brought his arm around behind him so it was on his lower back. His right hand was open with his arm extended out. The upper arm was held at his side with the forearm extended forward at an upward angle. Finally, his palm was open and facing upwards.

Hinata raised an eyebrow at the stance as she assumed her own Juuyken stance. But as she examined him, she found that something was… off. Was it just her, or did Naruto grow a little since yesterday? And… did his pupils just turn to slits?

"What are you waiting for?" Naruto said, adopting a confident smirk, "You want to prove yourself don't you?"

Hinata's eyes widened slightly for a second, before settling back as her new self began to emerge. Not entirely, but enough for it to show.

"Right" she affirmed as she suddenly shot forward with surprising speed, thrusting her right palm at Naruto, though careful to not focus any chakra into her strike.

Naruto's eyes widened imperceptibly as Hinata came at him. She was faster then Sasuke was. Both in her speed and the speed of her strike. Though not fast enough.

Bringing his outward hand to the side, he knocked Hinata's strike away, though he was careful not to touch her palm. Even though he knew there wasn't any danger, he'd like to imagine that this was the real deal.

Hinata reacted quickly, bringing her other hand forward in a follow-up strike. Only for it to be caught on the wrist by Naruto's other hand. Hinata looked up in surprise at Naruto's face, the latter's in a confident and tempting smirk.

"Come on," he said "You won't prove yourself like that"

And it was with those words, that Hinata suddenly underwent a transformation.

Her lips suddenly curled upwards in a smirk eerily similar to Naruto's own, and spoke in an eerily familiar tone as well. "Alright. Let's dance then"

With that, as Naruto's eyes widened at her change, she struck.

Sweeping her foot around with surprising strength, she kicked Naruto's legs out from under him. But even as he realized what was happening, she was already following through. As she did, her free hand came up and grabbed his hand that was holding his own. Using the fact that he was off the ground, she quickly spun around, pulling him up and over her with more surprising strength. Finally, with a quick motion, she sent him flying with a mighty throw. A normal person might have been too shocked to do anything and have hit the ground in a shapeless heap.

But Naruto was anything but normal.

His shock dissolving almost instantly, the blonde turned his body as he reached the ground, landing right on his feet in a crouch. As he quickly glanced up, he saw Hinata coming at him again. But even as she did, a confident and almost predatory smirk spread across his face.

'_Oh yeah. Now we're talking'_

He hadn't expected her to be able to boost her strength with chakra. She was a lot more advanced then he thought.

As the Hyuuga girl reached him, he was already back up to his full height. As Hinata sent a flurry of palm strikes at him, he concentrated chakra to his feet as he made several small jumps backwards to keep his distance, all the while ducking and weaving around her attacks.

'_Okay princess, let's see ya squirm'_

With that thought, he let one of her strikes get in close, only to grab her wrist like he did before. As she made a move to counter it, he planted his free hand on her stomach, grapping a fistful of her shirt. And, in a complete reversal of before, he lifted her off the ground, and threw her over his shoulder in a manner much like she had thrown him, though he didn't need to use chakra to increase his own strength. And, just like before, she twisted her own body in mid-air so she landed right on her feet.

"Had enough?" Naruto taunted, that smirk still on his face. He had to admit, he liked this new Hinata a lot more then her normal self. He wondered absentmindedly, if maybe she was developing detached persona's just as he had. It was certainly a possibility. He could tell that they were both similar people, and had been in similar situations for the past years. He supposed that it wasn't out of the question that he was seeing Hinata's own version of his Antharos, which would explain why the pyro was practically drooling over her inside his head.

"_**Damn! She is HOT when she's like that!"**_

_WACK_

"_**OW! What the hell was that for?!"**_

"_Would you stop that. It's creepy seeing you drool like a crazed perv watching yuri"_

"_**Oh yeah, sure. Just wait until she starts pondering the mysteries of the universe out loud, then you'll be **_**all over her**_**"**_

"…"

"_**You know it's true"**_

"_You know what? Yes. Yes I would"_

'_hEY, WHEN DO YOU THINK SHE'LL START ACTING LIKE ME?'_

"…"

"…"

"…"

'…'

"_Let's not think about that, shall we?"_

"_YEP"_

'_uh-huh'_

"_**Definitely"**_

'_mELON cURRY?'_

"_**Seriously, what is that guy smoking?"**_

'_hey, I think she's coming again'_

"_**Really? SWEET! Move over water boy!"**_

'_ow! that hurt you know'_

"_If he so much as thinks about masturbating, he's getting the chainsaw buster-sword to the groin"_

"_DEFINITELY"_

Meanwhile, in the world of the (slightly more) sane:

Naruto's smirk only widened as he parried Hinata's strikes. He supposed that this was exactly what he'd been hoping for with this spar. To draw out Hinata's fiery side, her fighting spirit. The longer he could keep it out, the more the shell she'd erected around herself would be broken away, hence why he was taking such a taunting attitude towards her. If she had brought out her fiery side, it was only appropriate that he bare his as well.

Though he did role his eyes briefly at the sound of a chainsaw from inside his head, quickly followed by Antharos's screams of pain.

Hinata seemed to sense his musing, and apparently took offense to being ignored as she sent a spinning kick at his head.

But Naruto rarely let himself completely block out the world around him. With lightning reflexes, he caught her foot just like he had caught Sasuke's in their spar. And just like before, he twisted her foot, sending Hinata spinning. But that was where the similarities ended. Whereas Sasuke had been left sprawled helplessly on the ground, Hinata seemed to have almost been expecting him to do that. As her other foot left the ground, she quickly landed on her hands, before sending her other foot straight at Naruto's head. However, Naruto had seen that coming as well, and ducked right under the kick. But that was all the distraction Hinata needed. With a quick motion, she wrested her other foot from Naruto's grasp, flipping over to land on her feet in front of him with her back facing him.

'_Yeah, I think its time to end this'_ Naruto thought as he made his move.

As Hinata tried to spin around, she was caught completely off guard as Naruto came at her, grabbing both her arms and knocking her to the ground. Pinning her arms and legs, Naruto effectively trapped her using his greater weight and mass, though both were panting at this point, Hinata noticeably more then Naruto.

Despite her evident exhaustion, Hinata still squirmed defiantly under his grasp, both seemingly unaware or uncaring of the compromising position they were in.

'_Geez, it's like she's a completely different person. Wonder how long she's been holding that in?'_ Naruto thought to himself as he suddenly found his eyes unconsciously examining her body, and appreciating what they saw.

The way her lithe and slender form curled and twisted beneath him, along with the way her breasts (which he just now noticed was a _lot_ bigger then Sakura's or Ino's) was rising and falling with her panting (somehow her jacket had gotten unzipped during the fight), and the faint redness combined with the defiant and cocky look on her face… That _would_ explain why he had the sudden urge to make out with her.

'_Damn, never noticed how hot she was. Just want to… OKAY, enough of those thoughts'_

"_**Oh man, I think I'm in love…"**_

"_Put your hands anywhere near there again and you'll loose more then your balls this time"_

"…_**I'll be good"**_

"Man, I take back what I said yesterday" Naruto said, causing Hinata to pause as she gave him a confused look.

"You could _definitely_ kick Sasuke's ass" he finished with a wide grin.

The praise of her abilities seemed to knock her out of the state she was in, as the defiant look disappeared and she suddenly became _very_ conscious of their position. The way her face turned a bright red almost instantly was proof of that.

'_Well, guess it couldn't last forever. Though that was one hell of a fight'_

"_**Damn it. I liked her like that"**_

"Uh… Naruto" Hinata spoke shyly, though without the stutter, "Could you get off me now?"

"Huh?" the blonde replied, only to finally realize just how… awkward… their position was. His left hand was pinning both her hands at the wrist above her head while his right was making a semi-successful effort of propping his body up, meaning that bodies were pressed together in several places. Added to the fact that due to her struggling just a few seconds before, their legs had become a bit entangled, and then there was the fact that their faces had somehow gotten to only a few _inches_ apart.

"Ohhh… Sorry" Naruto quickly apologized as he rolled off of her, a slight twinge of red on his face despite his control. _'Okay, note to self: CONTROL MY DAMN HORMONES!'_

'_**Oh yeah I forgot to mention. The upgrades also accelerated your hormonal growth as well, sex-drive and all'**_

'_Great. Next time Kyuubi, tell me that up front instead of putting it in a memo okay?'_

'_**Heh heh heh. Alright'**_

"Um… sorry for uh… going nuts back there" Hinata spoke up, breaking Naruto's talk with his inner demon.

"Huh? What are talking about?" Naruto replied as he got to his feet, extending his hand to help her up as well, "That was great! I mean, you pretty much turned into a completely different person. In fact, I think you almost had me a few times. That's nothing to be ashamed of"

"Um… Okay" Hinata replied a bit weakly. She was still a bit unused to having her efforts praised like this. "Um… What happened to me back there?" she didn't quite know what had caused her to do those things, to act like she did, to _think_ like she did. The thoughts that had been going through her head were completely alien to her. At first she had wanted to prove herself to Naruto, then she had just wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face. Whereas at first she had shied away from the spar, she had _enjoyed_ it. The quick movements, the challenge of fighting someone like Naruto, and her own feelings of love towards him only increased it. It was as if she thought that the sparring between them was some how an act of love. And at the end, when she had been pinned under him… her new self almost seemed to have been in some strange amalgamation of frustration and… arousal? She quickly tried to forget that last on.

"Am… Am I going crazy Naruto-kun?"

To this, the blonde only laughed, "No more then me Hinata"

His laugh stopped as he noticed Hinata's expression didn't change, and then realized that saying she was no crazier then him was _not_ the best course of reassurance.

"So… by that I mean, yes. But in a good way!"

"Um… what do you mean by that?" Hinata asked, unsure of what he could mean. But she supposed that his crazy was what someone might call 'good' crazy. After all, he wasn't running around like a crazed maniac. Or at least, she hoped not.

"Well, I mean that you're probably developing detached alternate personas like me"

"Like Antharos, Zechs, Xenos and the others?" Hinata replied, not sure what to think about this new possibility. Would she become as… odd… as Naruto was sometimes?

"Sort of" Naruto answered, "But I think it might be more accurate to call them your own. I doubt that yours would be much like mine. It's true that they would probably embody your base emotions, but they'll still be different. You and I may be similar, but we're not identical. We have different thoughts, different emotional levels, and different personalities, and as such, any alternate personalities would reflect that"

"Oh… So then what just came out was…?"

"Probably your equivalent of Antharos. I'd say that she is a lot of things you aren't, and might embody all of your repressed feelings of anger, rage, frustration and whatnot" Naruto replied.

"So then, I should try to keep her out then?" Hinata asked. If this… other side of her was like that, then shouldn't she try to keep it out?

Naruto's expression turned from joking to serious in an instant.

"No. Hinata whatever you do, don't try to block out your other selves completely. It'll just lead to problems. They are all facets of who you are, and blocking them out is simply refusing to accept the person that you truly are"

"Are you saying I should let them control me?"

"Not at all. If anything, _you_ should control _them_. They are different sides of you, but you are the real you. You should accept them for who they are, who you are, but you shouldn't let them control you. That's like being controlled by impulses and emotions. It won't get you anywhere. Besides, controlling your emotions can become a powerful weapon, if you know how to use it. Oh, and I think Antharos would be _very_ appreciative if you let out that side of you more often"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think she turns him on actually" Naruto replied in a joking tone, to which Hinata just turned beat red, to which in turn, Naruto laughed at her predicament.

"Sorry, couldn't resist"

His apology allowed Hinata to regain a bit of her composure as the redness left her face. The thought of her 'dark side' turning on Naruto's 'dark side' was both unsettling and… interesting.

'_He sure turned me on' 'AHHH Bad Hinata! Bad Hinata! Bad thoughts, Bad thoughts!'_

"Well anyway" Naruto said, breaking Hinata from her inner turmoil/argument with the voices in her head, "You want to work on something else now that I know what you can do?"

It took a second for Hinata to register this, but when she did, she only smiled, much like she had done the day before.

"Sure"

"Great! I was think that we could start on…"

_End Flashback_

* * *

Naruto's smile widened slightly as the memory passed. If anything, he had underestimated Hinata's skill, and how similar she was to him. She almost seemed well on her way to becoming a capable and cunning kunoichi worthy of the history books. In the past few weeks, they had worked on drawing out Hinata's inner self (or selves) as it seemed that her emotions had been greatly suppressed in the past few years, likely due to her treatment at the hands of her father. Naruto grimaced at the thought of that. At some point, he supposed that the two of them would have to have a _talk_ with Hiashi.

But in the meantime, he would be there for her. She had been there for him for five long years, even if he hadn't realized it, and he intended to repay that kindness. In fact, it was almost because he hadn't realized it that he was adamant on repaying her. She had shown him that kindness for five years, and he was only just now repaying it. He supposed it was his way of apologizing for ignoring her for all those years, despite his past mindset. Though he supposed that the reason he had had the mindset was no fault of his own.

The grimace on his face intensified as another memory surfaced. A memory of fire… and pain. Dozens of monsters in human skin, with the gall to call him a demon, even as they committed atrocities as terrible as any monster of myth or nightmare.

He supposed he'd also like to have a _talk_ with the citizen's of Konoha at some point.

Naruto was broken from his musings as he heard the characteristic 'poof' of a shunshin, heralding the arrival of their sensei. Unlike Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto had never minded Kakashi's chronic tardiness. Heck, he could get an extra hour of sleep for crying out loud!

"Yo" Kakashi said in his usual cheerful tone. Just noticing Sakura trying to pick herself off the ground next to a puddle of what looked (and smelled) like vomit.

"Uh… Is that…?"

"Yes" Sasuke spoke up, finishing his sentence.

"Naruto?"

"Yep"

"Did someone call?" said blonde said as he dispelled his clones, walking over to his teammates and sensei.

Noticing the exasperated looks Sasuke and Kakashi were giving him as well as the annoyed but defeated look Sakura was giving him, he spoke in a faux-innocent tone.

"What?"

"-sigh- Never mind" Kakashi drawled, not really caring at this point. "Anyway, I think I have news all of you will be happy to hear"

"What?"

"Hm?"

"Melon?" (you can guess who said what)

"I've just cleared us for our first C-rank mission"

* * *

AN: and that's a wrap, for now.

Well, quite a few things have happened. Is Hinata going nuts too? Not as much as Naruto, but yes. As they said, they are similar people.

And the sword thing? Well I figured that swords suited the new Naruto more then taijutsu, plus, everyone gives him katanas, so I thought I'd try something new and give him Scimitar's, and they'll come in handy against Zabuza.

Speaking of which, next chapter kicks of the Wave arc. I've put a whole lot of thought into this one, so I can safely say it's going to be pretty cool, and some kick-ass battles too.

Oh, and on a final note, here's a preview of my Eternities End fic. Just a little teaser as to what to expect.

Pain

Fire

Death

That was what he felt at first.

"_Power is as Power wills. As it shall Giveth, It shall also Taketh"_

"_For every Blessing, there is a Curse. For every Curse, there is a Blessing"_

"_Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted"_

_He was falling. Falling._

_Falling from the sky. The Bastards were coming. Even as He fell, their rage would not be quelled… _

_Let them come_

_His Blade wasn't bloody enough yet…_

_No… Master had given himself for them. He had to live. For HIM. For everything they had worked for…_

_The Wave may have been stopped, but it must not be extinguished…_

_They were here…_

_The pretty-boy was out in front… Heh… He should've known _

_They were closing fast… but they weren't on guard. Hm… they must have thought He was dead, or out cold. _

_How wrong they were._

_The rest held back… he was coming for him… alone._

_What a dumbass_

_Closer… Closer… Closer…_

_Gotcha_

_His massive blade sprung to life again, swinging it with all the might He dared use._

_Damn. Too soon, by a hair. _

_At least He had taken two of the blonde prick's wings. The bastard was screaming now. Good. Now for his friends._

_His hand reached out… Power coursing through it… The light formed around his arm… the ones before him yelled in terror, and tried to flee…_

_Too late_

"_Say cheese"_

_The light lanced forth… The dark light could not be stopped… the pursuer's were no more… His power may have been expended… but He was safe… He was the last… but with Him alive… the rest could return… They WOULD return…_

_As the ground rushed up to meet him… the mantra repeated in his head…_

"_For Zarathustra…"_

"_**Naruto. It is time to wake"**_

Read and Review (or face the wrath of the CHAINSAW BUSTER SWORD)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XI**

**Let The Buyer Beware**

* * *

'_It's about fricking time'_ Naruto thought to himself as Team 7 walked inside the Hokage Tower and the mission room.

D-rank missions may have been easy money, but he could just have his clones do them. They may have been easy but they were boring as hell. No challenge either. He knew that Sasuke and Sakura would be of similar opinion too. I mean, how can _gardening_ be considered ninja training? He'd have to have a serious talk to Sarutobi about their academy training. I mean, weren't they pretty much supposed to be hired mercenaries? Home grown killing machines? He was pretty sure that that was the general criteria for a shinobi. So why exactly were they doing crap like this? Naruto could understand giving D-ranks to academy students, but actual ninja? But oh well. It wasn't like griping to himself would help any.

Though it was satisfying to know that Kakashi was of a similar opinion. At least he wasn't alone in this boat. According to Kakashi, most of his peers thought the same way.

Speaking of said man, the lazy jounin was eyeing the newest addition to Naruto's arsenal.

"Starting to try kenjutsu Naruto? I didn't think you'd be in to that"

"What makes you say that? We both know that my taijutsu sucks. So I thought I'd try something else"

"True. But kenjutsu is thought by many to be far harder to master then taijutsu. Most consider it to be an advanced version of taijutsu. If your taijutsu is so bad, do you really think you'll have better luck with something more advanced?"

"You do have a point sensei, but think about it this way. Most of the people who have said that have been perfectly capable taijutsu users. I also read something interesting in the Konoha library. According to a study I read about, almost all of the renowned kenjutsu masters in the world, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist especially, had no real aptitude for taijutsu, hence why they turned to kenjutsu and found incredible skill with it. I thought the same might apply to me, and if nothing else, it was worth a shot"

Now that was an interesting point, Kakashi mused. _'Hmm. I knew Hayate was no good at taijutsu when he first started, and he's still nowhere near as good at it as most jounin, but I didn't know that it was true for others…'_

"Well, I suppose you do have a point there" Kakashi relented. He had learned a while back that Naruto had a talent for making a convincing argument, as well as showing shrewd negotiation skills. Kakashi remembered how many times he had used those skills to great extent on Sasuke, Sakura, and even himself a few times. Logic pwnage indeed.

In the last few weeks, his team had progressed greatly in skill, but there was still something missing. The teamwork. Sasuke seemed to not believe in the concept of teamwork at all, and Sakura was too infatuated with him to take her training seriously. Naruto was a little better off, as Kakashi could tell that he would at least try to work together with them, but they both seemed to hate him so that didn't work either. So Kakashi had come up with a potential solution.

Give them a 'trial by fire' so to speak.

Show them the real, dark side of the shinobi world. If they were in real, live fire situations, they would hopefully see the light. And if anything went wrong, he and Naruto would be there to bail them out. Naruto was not an issue.

The blonde had progressed with incredible speed in the past few weeks, thanks in no small part to his kage bunshin. Kakashi knew that Naruto was training with at least five hundred kage bunshin for twelve hours a day, and with it being about 30 days since they had become team 7, that put his total training time at just over 20 years in a single month! Frankly, Kakashi would be shocked if Naruto wasn't already at high-chunin level, heck he wouldn't be surprised if he was low _jounin_. And unlike Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto had no qualms about asking him for help with different aspects of his training. Kakashi recalled that Naruto had shown a special interest in fuuinjutsu, the creation of storage scrolls especially. From what he knew, Naruto could already create them on his own.

So, the point being that Kakashi trusted Naruto to help take care of Sasuke and Sakura if or when the shit hit the fan. Naruto was a natural leader, and he hoped that this mission would help Sasuke and Sakura see him as a teammate, rather then an enemy.

He could tell that he was starting to see Naruto less and less like a student, and more and more like an equal.

'_I wonder if this is what Jiraiya-sama felt like when he was training you, Minato-sensei…'_

* * *

Naruto was in high spirits as he and his teammates, followed by their lazy sensei (his nose still buried in that porn of his) climbed the stairs to the mission room of the Hokage tower. He knew that it was still only a C-rank mission, so battles against rival shinobi was unlikely, but it still was nice to know they'd be getting out of the village.

Though as they were approaching the mission room, Naruto was slightly surprised to find a familiar trio walk out of it, their jounin sensei (who even the seemingly hormone-immune Naruto had to admit was pretty hot) right behind them.

"Hey Kurenai" Kakashi greeted in his usual tone, "you getting a mission too?"

"Yes, _we_ are" the jounin replied, obviously a bit offended by the book in Kakashi's hands. "I assume you and your team are too?"

"Yep"

"Hey, losers! What's up?" Kiba greeted in his usual boisterous tone.

"Not much" Naruto replied. "Just taking missions, making cash"

"Hah! I bet you haven't gotten near as many as we have! In fact, Kurenai-sensei said we could be getting a C-ranker next week!"

Next to Naruto, Sasuke was about to speak up about how they were about to get a C-rank mission themselves, but then thought better of it. Naruto was so much better at irking people.

"Your epic fail has been noted"

Yep. Something like that.

"Wha… What? What's that supposed to mean? I didn't fail at anything" Kiba stammered, a very 'WTF?' expression on his face.

"Because, you failed so epically, _you didn't even know it_" Naruto explained, using a very emphasizing tone. "Am I wrong Shino?"

"Indeed" the Aburame replied, clear out of the blue, "In fact, it possessed so much epicness, that it was _not_ epic. It was only… sort of epic"

Now Kiba was definitely questioning their sanity.

"Seriously, are you two doing PCP together or something?"

"That's what _she_ said" Shino retorted, in a tone that reminded Sasuke and Sakura of Naruto.

"Wait… What does that even mean?"

"YOUR MOM!" Naruto shot in, confusing Kiba even more.

Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and Kurenai just decided to ignore the randomness and just chalk it up to them being weird. Hinata on the other hand…

'_Oh, so they meant… oh Ewwww, That's just weird. Wait… I understood them… Yep. I'm going crazy too'_

Interestingly, she didn't see anything bad about that.

"But to answer your question Kiba, we're here to get a C-rank mission ourselves. That is why you fail so epically"

"What? Oh… so what did the other stuff mean…?"

"Because your fail rating exceeded the fifth level of coffee grounds, it was forced to reach the second stage of Stapler, as well as passing the fourth pencil extremity. Therefore, due to the eight squared law of the Bobby Philips Continuum, Version 11.5, the rating of epicness was reset, causing your fail rating to only reach the 65.243pi percent level, despite being extremely epic to begin with" Naruto said, even pulling a large and detailed graph/chart from seemingly now-where to illustrate his point.

Now almost everyone was looking at him like he had grown a second head that was somehow made of a duck, a microwave, and the Nidaime Hokage. The exceptions being of course Shino, who was only nodding in affirmation, and Hinata, who was actually starting to understand all this.

'_Oh yeah. I'm definitely going crazy'_

"So… Am I _supposed_ to understand what the hell that meant?" Kiba spoke in that extremely weirded out tone.

"_Of course_" Naruto said in a very creepy tone that Sasuke recognized from earlier, "If you _join us_"

"Huh…?"

"Join us Kiba… Join the dark side…" Naruto continued in that same extremely creepy tone as he reached into his coat, "we have _cookies_"

Kiba looked at the cookie that was in Naruto's hand, his sanity currently being beaten upon by a multitude of baseball bats.

"AHHHHHH!!!" obviously fearing for what was left of his sanity, Kiba screamed and made a run for the exit, falling down the stairs in the process.

"Wimp" Sasuke said simply, feeling very smug at being able to resist Naruto's insanity.

With that, Kurenai merely shook her head as she and Shino went to collect their teammate. Kakashi just shrugged.

"Well, let's go kids" with that, he took the lead, Sasuke and Sakura following behind. Naruto returned the cookie to his pocket, and made to follow them.

But even as he did, he paused as he passed the final member of team 8, who herself had paused for the exact same reason.

Without a word, Naruto patted his hand on Hinata's shoulder as he gave her a smile, a true smile.

"See you later"

Hinata could only reciprocate the grin as she brought her opposite hand up to rest on his own that was on her shoulder.

"You too"

And with that, with only five words exchanged between them, the two friends parted ways to catch up with their teams, both unaware of the exchange that had just taken place right under their noses.

* * *

"Well Kakashi, are you sure about this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said from behind his desk in the mission room.

Next to him, Iruka was feeling a little apprehensive about all this. He knew that he shouldn't be trying to hold his former students back, but that concern he felt for them, especially Naruto, kept welling back up inside him.

As his gaze fell on Naruto, he gave him a subtle look that he knew only the blonde would know.

'_Are you sure about this?'_

Naruto simply gave him a cocky smirk whose meaning was obvious to the chunin.

_Please don't be so insulting_

For some reason, that put Iruka at ease. He knew that Naruto was a lot stronger then anyone thought, and he could look after himself. But it was the calm and collected look that Naruto had followed it up with that truly eased Iruka's mind.

_Don't worry. I'll look after them_

That look… it eerily reminded Iruka of someone else… a person who's selflessness to the village of nigh-legendary. A person who had thrown away his own life without a second thought to protect them.

Next to him though, Sarutobi had a small smile of pride as he noticed Naruto's look, and it's resemblance to his own successor's.

'_Ah Naruto. You truly are just like him. I just hope you'll take the truth well. Heh. Who knows? You may have figured it out already'_

"Yes Hokage-sama" Kakashi replied, "I have the utmost confidence that my team is ready for this"

The Sandaime nodded in acceptance as he pulled a scroll from the desk he was sitting at. "Well then, it just so happens that we have one right now" raising his voice slightly, he continued, "Your mission is to escort a master bridge builder back to his home country and protect him until his project is completed. Please come in, Tazuna-san"

The door opened on cue and an old man holding a bottle of sake stepped through, obviously slightly inebriated from the alcohol.

"These are my escorts? Geez, I asked for shinobi, not a bunch of snot-nosed brats. Especially that blonde one with the stupid hair"

Sasuke and Sakura bristled at the comment, and looked ready to pummel the old man. Naruto though, who hadn't even turn to look at their client, only gave an amused smirk as he shook his head.

"You really shouldn't underestimate shinobi Tazuna-san" he said as he snapped his fingers.

The old man raised an eyebrow, until he noticed the five kage bunshin surrounding him, all with swords/kunais held above various vital points.

"You might just end up dead"

There was a tense moment between Sasuke and Sakura when they wondered whether Naruto might actually kill the man. Kakashi, Iruka and the Sandaime were less scared. They knew from Naruto's tone that he was simply making a point.

"You'd best remember that. It might just save your life" Naruto said again, and on cue, the clones moved away from Tazuna, sheathing their blades.

"I assure you Tazuna-san," Naruto said again, this time in far less threatening tone, "you'll be safe in our care. My people and I are _very_ good at what we do"

Kakashi just shook his head. Naruto believed that 'actions spoke louder then words' and his actions usually did. And then there was his 'speak softly, and carry a big stick' ideal.

"Anyway," the man spoke up, "You'll be well protected Tazuna-san. As Naruto said, we are quite capable of protecting you"

The jounin seemed to do a much better job at putting the old man at ease, even if the clones obviously had no intention of hurting him.

"And Naruto, please refrain from threatening the clients in the future will you? It's bad for business"

"Sure. No problem. Just as long as they don't call my hair stupid" the blonde replied.

To this, everyone sweatdropped.

"Well then, you have one day to prepare for our journey. We're going to Wave country for an extended period, possibly a month, so pack heavy. Be at the front gates at 0900 hours tomorrow. I trust that's okay with you Tazuna-san?"

"Uh… yeah. That's fine" the man said, still a bit on edge from having his life threatened over calling someone's hair stupid.

"Well, you heard the scarecrow. Let's get moving" Naruto said as he turned to his clones, making a one handed seal.

"Yes Sir"

With that, the clones made a seal too, and all six vanished in a swirl of air.

* * *

White eyes narrowed as their owner glared at the on-rushing foes.

She had to get this right. She couldn't fail again.

Her hands came together as she made the seals.

She brought her head up, taking a deep breath as she did.

She could almost feel the heat as she blew outward at the advancing force.

'_Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!'_

Bright red flames erupted from her mouth like a raging dragon. The inferno shot forward in a massive fireball, incinerating the on-coming blonde clones in an instant, and bathing the entire clearing in a soft red glow.

"You're getting better Hinata" Naruto spoke up from where he was sparring with several other clones, "I think you can use it to its maximum effectiveness now. How do you feel?" he finished as he sheathed his swords, leaving his clones to spar amongst themselves.

"A little drained" Hinata answered, "I think I might be able to manage about five more"

Naruto nodded, a small smile of pride crossing his face. Over the past few weeks, he and Hinata had been doing more then simple sparring exercises.

He might not have been familiar with the Juuyken style, but that didn't mean he couldn't help Hinata reinvent the style to suit her better. That, and he could help her with other jutsu techniques besides Juuyken.

So far, he had taught her the shuriken kage bunshin and the Goukakyuu. As he had said before, since she hadn't finished reworking her taijutsu to suit her own style, she had to have something to fall back on, and besides, if she relied too much on Juuyken, what would happen if she ever fought someone who was skilled in long range combat? In his opinion, and Hinata agreed with this, the advantages of having a more varied combat style were multi-fold. For one thing, she would be more prepared against a greater range of foes and she would have an advantage against Hyuugas that relied simply on the clan's prized taijutsu. Not to mention the fact that Naruto secretly thought that it would be the perfect way for her to get back at her father. Every weapon had its weakness, and once he and Hinata found the weaknesses to Juuyken, they were going to exploit them as much as they could.

Next to him, Hinata too was smiling at her accomplishment, and at the still burning flames that were still dying down.

'_So pretty… okay Hinata, that's enough pyromania for one day'_

But as her thoughts left those of her new persona's, they turned to what Naruto had said in the Hokage tower, and she felt a slight twinge of anxiety rise in her.

"So, you finally got a C-rank mission?"

Broken from his musings, Naruto paused before replying. "Yeah"

"How long will you be gone?"

"Probably a week or two. We have to protect this bridge builder in Wave country"

Hinata felt a little down at that. Even though she knew that most of his clones would be staying behind in Konoha, the fact that he would be gone was already making her feel lonely. He really was her closest friend.

"Will it… be dangerous?" she asked again, not being able to help feelings of trepidation.

"Oh yeah. It's a C-rank remember. But it's just bandits, no shinobi… _probably_" he replied jokingly, until he noticed the look on her face. The look of unease, anxiety, and… fear. Fear that he might not come back.

His face immediately morphed into one of reassurance, "Hey, I'll be fine. I'm taking three companies with me. It's not like its anything we can't handle-"

He was cut off as Hinata rushed him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Just… just be careful" she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder as she held him close. She was just now realizing how much Kyuubi had boosted his growth. Whereas before, they were about the same height, now she could have only barely have brought her chin over his shoulder.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at her action, but they quickly softened, before closing as hers did. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her close as he lowered his head.

"Don't worry. I will"

That whisper… it made Hinata smile. The gentleness, the confidence, and the warmth she felt like this, in his arms. She supposed that it was something she had often dreamed about and now… it was happening.

"You… You'll come back right?" she said again as she lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise"

Those last two words… they meant so much to Hinata. The way he said it… she knew he would do everything he could to fulfill it. He would keep that promise.

"Thank you"

She was so happy right now… feeling safe in his arms. She almost felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Naruto himself was feeling a similar feeling. This warmth… it was unlike anything he had ever felt before… and he liked it. This… felt right somehow. He didn't know why, but it just did.

They both stood there for several minutes, both content in the other's embrace.

* * *

_Fire…_

_Darkness…_

_Pain…_

_Death…_

_Why?_

_Why were they doing this to him?_

_What had he done to deserve this? _

_It was that day again. The day he had been born. They were always the angriest on that day. _

_They were coming… coming for him._

_So he ran. He ran as fast as he could._

_Down the streets, through the alleys. Maybe… maybe he could get lucky this time. Maybe he could get away. If he found the old man maybe… just maybe…_

_He screamed in pain as the kunai went into his leg._

_He couldn't run anymore… his leg couldn't support him._

_So he fell. Fell right in front of them. That raging mob of demons. _

"_Awww. So the little demon boy thought he could get away huh? Well, that's not gonna happen this time!"_

"_Yeah!"_

"_Die demon!"_

"_Kill the monster!"_

_Rough hands gripped him… breaking a few of the little bones in his body…_

_One of them came up to him, a torch in hand…_

"_You like burning our families? Well how 'bout I burn YOU!" _

_He screamed in pain as the torch was thrust into his chest, the fire burning his skin._

_The figures around him only laughed at his pain_

"_This is for my brother!"_

_A sword was thrust into his shoulder. He screamed in pain._

"_We're going to finish what Yondaime-sama started!"_

_He heard cheering. Many voices all at once._

"_Get the rope!"_

"_String him up!" _

"_Make him pay!"_

_More came. The knives, the swords, the clubs, the boots. They all came down on him. He could hardly see… so much blood… all of it his._

_Then… through all of it… a roar. A roar of flames._

_And… A voice… something only heard for its defiance…_

"_STOP IT!!"_

Naruto shot up, sitting upright in his bed, panting heavily, his face covered in sweat.

His breathing slowing back down, Naruto looked around, taking in his small, darkened apartment, a disgusted look on his face as he looked back down with his eyes closed.

"I hate this place…"

Getting up, the blonde tore the covers off of his body as he got out of bed. He couldn't stand this place anymore. The lights remained off as his enhanced vision could see fine even in this low light. Quickly, but deliberately, he got dressed, putting his black pants on over his boxers and changing the white T-shirt he slept in for his normal black shirt. Finishing his attire with his jacket, boots, headband and weapons, he was out the door in under two minutes after he had woken up.

Naruto gave a small smile of contentment as he leaned back against the hard stone. He was currently sitting on the carving of the nose of Sarutobi's massive head carving, gazing out at the moon shining its white light over Konoha. He liked coming up here… especially during the full moon. There was just something about moonlight… something that he thought gave it such a supernatural beauty… The cool night air… the breeze up on the mountain… the moonlight shining down on him… the serene solitude… it had a calming effect on him… usually.

It would be so easy he mused… Just a few thousand kage bunshin, all primed for simultaneous detonation, scattered all across Konoha. He could have some bore underground too. No one could detect them, until it was too late. And maybe he could put a few hundred in the mountain he was sitting on, maybe bring that down on all they're heads too…

No one would survive really. Chunin, jounin, ANBU… They just wouldn't be able to survive explosions that big and that numerous. The Sandaime might live, but he could just put a few dozen more clones in the Hokage tower…

And it wouldn't take to long to set up either… Maybe a day or two if he had all of the commanders pitching in.

And then… in a single instant, he could erase Konoha from the face of the earth… with a single thought… No traces… no witnesses… No one would or ever could suspect him… Konoha would just be… gone… The greatest of the ninja villages… obliterated in a single instant at the hands of lowly genin.

'_No… that wouldn't be right. I haven't given them the chance'_

He might be vindicated in wiping the village off the map… making all of those bastards pay… he was sure that even Hinata would understand, and perhaps even support such a decision… but he knew it wasn't right. There were many down there who had done him no wrong. They didn't deserve such a fate. And even then… if he really wanted to annihilate all those bastards that had tortured him… he wouldn't want to do it like that. They would _know_. They would know that it was they themselves who had brought this hell upon Konoha. They would know that it was they who sowed the seeds of their own destruction. And besides… he really didn't give a shit about them anymore anyway.

But in any event… he could no longer live in that dingy apartment. That place held too many memories, all of them bad, he mused as he leapt to the top of the stone head.

It was time to move up the plans.

"Ratchet" the blonde called up.

"Yes sir?" came a softer voice from a clone suddenly appearing on the top of the head behind him. If one was observing, they'd notice that this one was different from regular clones. His hair was a dark brown, and was laid down with no spikes at all. His eyes were a dark green, and gazed out from behind a pair of non-descript glasses that always adorned his face. In fact, the only real similarity to the original was the six whisker marks adorning his cheeks.

"I want to move up the Armored Waterfall project. Can you do that?"

The clone gave a small nod.

"Of course sir. We've finished drawing up the plans, and we've surveyed the site. It's perfect. All we need is the old man's permission and the raw materials and we can get started."

"Good" the junchurriki nodded in affirmation, "See if you can start construction tomorrow. I'd rather not be sleeping in that apartment anymore."

The brown-haired clone nodded as he walked up to stand beside his commander.

"Bad dreams sir?"

"Not dreams… just memories…" was all he answered.

The clone looked on in sympathy.

"We'll make sure to have it finished by the time you and the others get back"

"Thank you Ratchet" Naruto replied, returning his gaze to the moon above, "It really is beautiful isn't it?"

The head of the Manufacturing and Construction division nodded as he followed his gaze.

"That it is sir. That it is"

* * *

It was a bright day in Konoha, a nice one for traveling.

At least that's what Naruto thought as he stood at the south gate with his teammates, sensei and their client. Kakashi was clearing their departure with the two chunin on gate duty while Sasuke and Sakura looked to be filled with anticipation, though Sakura seemed to be anxious as well. Naruto had to admit, he was feeling slightly anxious, though those feelings were quickly squashed by his anticipation. This would be his first time outside of the village, and that meant that things were bound to get interesting. If nothing else, maybe they'd get a bandit attack or something. He shrugged the strap on his backpack, a large black one with lots of pockets for whatever he might need. Sasuke and Sakura were wearing packs too, though theirs were noticeably smaller and held less stuff. Kakashi's was more similar to his own.

"Well team," Kakashi said as he walked back to them, "shall we get moving?"

"Guess so" Naruto drawled. He might be looking forward to this, but that still didn't mean he wasn't board.

"Yeah. We're ready" Sasuke added, a confident smirk on his face, Sakura merely nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. I'd like to get home as soon as possible" Tazuna put in.

"Right, let's get going then" Kakashi affirmed as turned towards the gate, leading his team out.

'_Well... our first C-ranker. This should be interesting'_

* * *

Five hours down the road, for the first time since the awakening, Naruto could honestly say, he was board. He supposed that he hadn't counted on the fact that Sasuke and Sakura hated him too much for conversation and Kakashi had his nose buried in that porn of his, so he probably should have brought something to entertain himself. Problem was, he had no such things. Sakura had kept pestering Tazuna with questions about his home, and while that had been something to listen too, he was soon bored with that too.

Giving a glance back to his teacher, Naruto decided to take a chance with that.

"So what is so interesting about that book anyway?"

"It's a well-written piece of literature. Why else do you think I like it?"

"Somehow, I can't see how pornographic writing can be so terribly interesting" Naruto said in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, it's more then that" Kakashi defended, reaching into his ninja pouch. Naruto raised an eyebrow as his sensei produced a second book of the same series, "And you really shouldn't bash something until you've looked at it yourself" he finished as he tossed it to the blonde.

Naruto caught the book, giving it a curious look. It was the first book of the series.

"I suppose you do have a point there" he replied as he opened it to the first page.

'_Besides, what's the worst that could happen?'_

Naruto would eventually learn to regret those words (sort of).

* * *

"You know what Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"I take back what I said. This is actually some pretty good work"

It was two hours later, and Naruto could certainly say that this series had him hooked.

"Told ya" Kakashi said, a small smug grin on his face.

"That you did" Naruto agreed as he turned a page, "And what I'm amazed by is that this has an amazing story to it. I thought it was just going to be a bunch of smut, but it actually has some really good substance to it. I'm surprised by how he strings it all together. And the smut seems to actually fit into the story rather well"

"That it does" Kakashi agreed, "Why do you think I like it so much?"

"I can see why now. Jiraiya certainly knows how to write a good book"

"Indeed"

"How many books has he written again?"

Kakashi had to restrain a slight chuckle. He wondered if he was doing a good thing by corrupting his sensei's son like this, but hey, he was mature enough for this. "He's up to the eighth volume of this series, and he has several other books that tie into the main series. Most of them are pure smut though, I doubt you'd be interested in them. But when you finish that one, I can loan you the next volume if you're interested"

"I think I might be"

Next to them, Sakura (having been too absorbed either asking questions about their destination or trying (and failing) to woo Sasuke) seemed to have just taken notice of the fact that now both her annoying teammate _and_ sensei had their noses buried in a special little book.

"What the hell?!!! You're reading that porn now too?!"

"-sigh- It was then that Sakura tripped on a rock"

"Huh?" WHAM. Sakura was cut off as she tripped on a rock, falling flat on her face.

"And there was much rejoicing"

On cue, several clones suddenly popped into existence, all of them waving overly large and colorful flags in a one-handed jerking motion that made them look like something out of a badly drawn cartoon while cheering in an extremely disinterested and monotonous tone.

"Yay…"

* * *

It was several hours of walking later, as the sun was near the horizon, that Kakashi decided they should pitch camp in a clearing off to the side of the road.

"Yeah, this spot should do" taking off his backpack, Kakashi began unpacking the tent that he and Tazuna would be sharing, still giving out orders, "Naruto, get some firewood. Sasuke, Sakura, start setting up other tent"

"Understood" Naruto replied simply as he made a one-handed seal. On cue, ten Kage Bunshin poofed into existence. Seven proceeded to run off into the woods, while the other three stayed at the original's side.

Said original proceeded to remove his back-pack and place it on the ground. Reaching into one of his pockets, the blonde pulled out a medium-sized scroll that Kakashi was pretty sure was marked 'Shelter'. Naruto slowly unrolled the scroll until he found a certain seal. With a quick swipe of some blood, a folded up, one-person tent appeared with a 'poof'.

As he and his clones quickly got to work setting up the tent, Naruto noticed the looks his teammates and client were giving him.

"Storage seals. Infinitely useful"

"Naruto" Kakashi started, "The plan was to bring only two double-tents. That way we can always have three of us sleep and one on watch at all times"

"Yeah. But I can bring an extra tent along no problem and my clones can keep watch. I guarantee you they're better watchers then those two, plus we all get more rest as a result" Naruto replied, "Besides, no way am I bunking with either of those two. The banshee might try to kill me in my sleep, and I'm still not sure how straight emo-boy is so bunking with him is a definite no-no"

Sasuke and Sakura looked slightly annoyed, until they realized what Naruto had meant by the last part.

"HEY! Sasuke-kun isn't gay! How dare you insinuate that!"

"Hey, I'm just taking precautions. Remember, he's ignored the propositions of an entire army of fangirls so you never know… Besides, doesn't this mean that you'll be sharing the tent with him the entire night?"

Sasuke immediately paled slightly as Sakura seemed to register this, and then gave a fangirlish squeal.

"You're welcome"

Kakashi just rolled his eyes at Naruto's antics. He _did_ make a solid point though. There was no real problem if Naruto had brought his own tent, and with his clones on guard duty, that _did_ mean that they'd all be getting more rest.

"Alright Naruto, you win. We'll go with your plan. Though were all counting on those clones of yours."

"I hear ya"

"Oh, and Sakura, Sasuke"

"Yes sensei?" the pink-haired girl looked up from eagerly setting up the tent alongside a grumbling Sasuke.

"Konoha law states that any and all pregnancies in kunoichi under the age of sixteen must be aborted. You should probably keep that in mind"

At this comment Sakura turned a shade of red that Naruto was pretty sure could even rival Hinata's, while Sasuke turned an odd combination of paling and blushing at the same time.

Naruto simply broke out in a faux-maniacal cackle.

"And you call us perverts…"

* * *

Kakashi's eyes flickered open, his hand reflexively reaching for a kunai. He thought he heard something.

No, just Tazuna snoring on the other side of the tent.

The jounin was about to nod off again when…

"_Were their any complications?"_

Kakashi's eye opened wider as he heard Naruto's voice coming from outside the tent. It was soft, very soft. It was so quiet that he had to concentrate chakra to his ears to hear it clearly.

"_Not a problem sir"_

"_Any trackers?"_

"_None sir. We're clear all the way back to Konoha"_

"_Good"_

Those voices… he was definitely talking with his clones. He was probably just getting a status report from the guards he put up around their camp. Yeah. Probably that.

But even so, as he fell back asleep, Kakashi couldn't shake the feeling that there was something… off about voices Naruto was talking to.

Meanwhile, in the other double tent, Sakura had been woken up as well. At first she had been confused, but then she remembered Naruto talking about putting his clones on guard duty. Why should she care if he decided to have a conversation with some of his clones?

As she was about to lay her head back down on the camping pillow she had brought, her eyes suddenly fell on the sleeping form of Sasuke on the sleeping bag next to hers (the weather was far too warm to warrant sleeping _in_ the bags) and something suddenly dawned on her.

As a fangirlish grin spread across her face, she began moving closer.

'_Ino would _kill_ me if she ever found out about this. Hehehehe'_

* * *

Sasuke was in a doze as he woke up. He never really was a morning person.

"Ugh… What time is it?"

He tried to move his arm, but noticed that there was a lot of extra weight on it. He looked over and saw pink hair...

'Wait a minute...pink hair?...!!' Sasuke resisted the urge to scream, as Sakura seemed to be asleep.

"Mmm, Sasuke-kun...harder..." Sakura mumbled in her sleep.

Sasuke's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. 'HARDER?! Do WHAT harder?!' he frantically tried to recall doing anything with or to his female teammate.

"Ohhh, yeeesss...right there...that's it..." Sakura continued to make lude comments in her sleep.

Sasuke's eye twitched violently. How could this have happened? And why with _her_ of all people?!

"Mmm, It's sooooo good..." Sakura mumbled.

Little did Sasuke know, Sakura's dream consisted of him giving her a massage, and cooking for her. Despite her seemingly naughty words, her dream was fairly innocent.

"Sasuke-kun...should I get the whip-..." Sakura mumbled the rest, but Sasuke had heard enough to jump to a conclusion. What he didn't know was that Sakura was just asking him if she should get the whipped cream for the sundaes they were eating in her dream.

But because Sasuke hadn't bothered to pay close enough attention, he was completely terrified.

Sakura chose this moment to snuggle up to her "pillow". She buried her face in the crook of Sasuke's neck and took a deep sniff.

This set Sasuke off and he did the only thing he could...

* * *

"Ehh?" Naruto looked up from collapsing his tent in the early morning sunrise to the girly screaming coming from his teammates' tent.

Getting to his feet, he shook his head in exasperation.

"Now I'm _really_ glad I brought my own tent" But he had to admit, that Uchiha could really scream. Heck, he actually thought that it could have been Sakura for a second back there, though it would have scared him if it _had_ been Sakura. I mean, Sasuke taking an interest in one of his fangirls? Wasn't that one of the signs of the apocalypse or something? And he highly doubted that Sakura would be screaming in terror if she woke up to being groped by Sasuke.

His musings were broken as Kakashi burst from his own tent, obviously fearing some kind of an attack judging by the kunai in his hand.

"What happened?" his tone quickly dropping to more curious to fearing as he noticed that nothing seemed to be wrong and the screaming was coming from the other double-tent.

Naruto just shrugged, "I guess Sakura just decided to take my advice about when to try raping him. I thought I saw her putting something in his water last night"

And he had also said this just loud enough for the occupants of the tent to hear.

"YOU DID WHAT?!!?!?"

* * *

About an hour later, the five of them were on the road again, Sasuke making sure to keep as much distance between himself and Sakura as possible, despite her protests that she had not raped or tried to rape him (which was true), and that she had no idea how they ended up like that (which wasn't).

Naruto and Kakashi meanwhile had their noses buried in pages of Icha Icha again while Tazuna was just confused over what had happened.

Meaning none of them gave much visible notice to the two puddles they were passing between.

Suddenly, and without warning, two massive chains lined with razor blades shot out of the puddles, wrapping around the one person walking out front, Kakashi.

And before anyone could do more then register this, the chains were pulled, and the man was ripped to shreds.

"SENSEI!" Sakura screamed in terror as the two puddles 'poofed' away to reveal two men in heavy body-armor with large clawed gauntlets along with the massive razor chain that connected them.

"Heh. One down" on of them spoke, before both rushed the rest of the group.

"Four to go!"

As the two shinobi came at the group, Sakura found herself unable to move. These people… they were really trying to _kill_ her… She… She was going to die…

Sasuke was far less frozen, leaping in front of Tazuna to protect him. Naruto on the other hand…

The moment the chain had shot from the puddles, the blonde had undergone a transformation. The lazy, joking expression from before had been replaced with that of a battle-hardened warrior. No fear. No hesitation. No Mercy.

By the time Kakashi had been shredded, Naruto had already stowed his book in a coat pocket, and as the two shinobi rushed their group, his hands went into the two ninja pouches on the back of his waist. Inexplicably, he pulled out a pair of massive fuma shurikens and with a quick motion, hurled both of them at the armored ninja.

The two attackers were obviously surprised by Naruto's zeal, but they quickly countered, deflecting the projectiles with their gauntlets.

But even as the massive shuriken flew off into the air, they suddenly poofed into smoke to reveal a pair of Kage bunshin.

'_What?! Henge'd clones?'_

The clones each hurled six kunai at the pair, who brought up their gauntlets as shields to guard themselves. But as the kunai impacted, they exploded into a massive cloud of smoke, not unlike a smoke bomb.

"_Kadmus team, engage bogies! Halo Team, extraction now!"_

"_Yes sir!"_

As her vision was obscured, Sakura was startled as she was suddenly picked up by someone.

As the smoke began to clear, the two armored shinobi were surprised to see that though their target was almost right in front of them a second ago, he and the brats were gone.

"Did they make a run for it?"

"I don't know. Maybe-"

The second brother was cut off as katana blade came directly at him, inserting itself into the chink in his armor just under his arm.

"What?!" with a quick motion and ignoring the pain, he thrust his other arm at the attacker, only for it to hit empty air.

As the smoke cleared further, the man's eyes widened further at what he saw. Clones. Almost twenty of them, all coming at him with various bladed weapons. Pulling the katana from his side, he tried to bring it up to defend himself, only for the sword to 'poof' away. By that time, the attackers were on him. Using all the skill he had, Mizu fought off his attackers, glancing to his left to see his brother, Gozu, facing similar opponents.

It was unreal. The clones moved with incredible coordination. It was like they were real people instead of just chakra constructs. He could barely keep them off of him.

Deciding to stop fighting alone, the two brothers nodded to each other before leaping to the center of the road, their backs to each other. After all, they were just clones that they were fighting. They just needed to dispell all of them.

"_Sir, targets are in position"_

"_Roger that. Jango squad, engage Inferno Webbing maneuver. Innis squad, engage Fire Blast support on my command" _

"_Yes Sir!"_

The brothers were caught off guard when suddenly, dozens of ninja wire shot from the trees, all of them led by shuriken. The wires twisted around the two of them, effectively immobilizing them.

'_What?! They were luring us this whole time?!'_

The two looked up to the trees on either side to see several flames flare up from within the trees, each of them at the end of a grouping of the wires.

'_Wait… this jutsu is…'_

Each flame grew until they each resembled a dragon of some kind.

And then, they struck.

"_BARBAQUE TIME!!"_

The flames shot out along the wires, setting the two bound ninja ablaze.

The two shinobi howled in pain, but their armor held. This Ryuuka technique was weaker then usual, and wasn't strong enough to burn through their armor. If they could just break the wires…

"_Initiate Blast stage" _

With that order, a hail of kunai came flying from the trees, hitting the ground around the flaming shinobi.

'_Wha…?'_

Then they noticed it. Several clones, all arranged around the perimeter of the woods, making handseals.

Simultaneously, the members of Innis squad took a deep breath, and breathed out a blast of hell itself.

"_Goukakyuu no jutsu"_

As the fireballs flew towards them, Gozu noticed out of the corner of his eye, that the kunai surrounding them had begun to glow.

As his world was consumed by flames, both brothers could barely make out the sound of snapping fingers.

And then they knew no more.

* * *

"Web-Binding Incineration maneuver; successful" Naruto said to himself from where he stood in the tree tops above the road, well hidden from anyone from the road. Around him were the members of the Fidchell and Gamma fireteams. A few branches down, keeping a close eye on his teammates and client was Halo team.

Naruto had to admit, that worked far better then he thought it would.

"_Sir, targets are confirmed down"_

"_Good job Forge"_ Naruto replied to the Kadmus team leader. _"Echo, Delta, Cubia, find anything?"_

"_No sir, we're clear across the board. No reinforcements detected"_ replied a voice that one might find odd for its high-pitched, feminine tone.

"_Alright, good job Casper" "All units, stand down"_

"_Yes sir!"_

With that, Naruto and his clones jumped down to the ground, Halo team close behind, their members still holding an annoyed Sasuke, an irate Sakura, and two supporting Tazuna who was wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Hey! Put me down dammit!" Sakura screamed at the clone holding her slung over one arm.

"Hey, we just saved your life. I'd be a little more thankful if I were you"

"Let her down Hammer. You too Fixer. You don't want to be exposed to them for any longer then necessary now do you?" Naruto ordered as he approached the charring corpses in the road.

"Yes sir" the clones replied, quickly dropping Sasuke and Sakura flat on their faces. The ones supporting Tazuna just let him down.

Sakura was about to start screaming at them again when she noticed the charred corpses in the middle of the road, and promptly felt too sick to do anything of the sort.

Naruto just shook his head before looking up to the trees.

"So, how was that Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura's eyes widened in realization as she remembered what had happened. That man… her sensei… had been ripped to shreds… he was dead…

So you can imagine her surprise when said dead guy jumped out of the trees, his nose still in that porn of his like nothing had happened.

"Not bad. Though I think you went a little overboard back their" the jounin said, motioning towards the two barbecued shinobi.

"Ka…Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!"

At this, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke gave her a confused look, while Tazuna was of a similar opinion to hers.

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be? Don't you think a human body should fall to fleshy chunks when ripped apart and not wood?" Naruto said, pointing to the broken pieces of wood where Kakashi had been standing when he had been apparently ripped apart.

"Oh…" Sakura replied, feeling extremely stupid right now. Of course, it was a kawarimi. But then a new thought occurred to her.

"Wait a minute! Why didn't you help us?! Those guys could have killed us back there!"

"I wanted to see how you all would handle this kind of situation. And I have to say Naruto, you did quite well. Though in the future, you might want to rely on your teammates more"

"Yeah yeah, I'll keep that in mind" Naruto said dismissively as he walked over to the bodies.

Naruto seemed completely unfazed by the sight as he stood over the bodies, while a trio of clones was on their knees examining them.

"Well Jester? Can we salvage anything from these two?"

"Well, there's no recognizable features as you can see, but we should still be able to get some DNA from the head, and their teeth and jaws are still mostly intact too so there's always dental records"

"Good to hear. Grab 'em and bag 'em then" Naruto replied.

The clone nodded as he and his comrades immediately removed the heads of the two shinobi, sealing them up in a scroll.

Kakashi gave a small smile at that action. Naruto sure did his homework on this. The so-called 'Demon Brothers of the Mist' had a pretty decent bounty on their heads as he recalled, and Naruto was exploiting this encounter to its fullest extent.

But it was then that he noticed something odd about the clones. None of them were identical to Naruto, in appearance, attire or equipment.

Their clothing also varied from something similar to jounin attire (minus the flack jacket) and various pieces of armor to something resembling an ANBU uniform (minus the mask) that the clones that had engaged the demon brothers wore, to a more simple attire of a dark jacket and pants that the ones sealing the head wore. And then there was their equipment. None were using the same oddly shaped swords (Scimitars as Kakashi recalled) that Naruto was carrying. Some were using katanas while others held wakizashis. All of their hair was spiked to some degree, though none were in the same style as Naruto. Some had hair that was more laid back while others had it spiked more in the front, along with varying colors from a darker blonde to a dark red. And there were more physical differences too. Their eye color also varied, ranging from brown, to dark blue, to even a bright green and purple. None though, had eyes the same vibrant blue hue of the original. Some were slightly taller, others shorter. Some with a larger body build, others smaller, but none were an exact replication of the original.

But the most extreme example of this use of variety was the clone who had just dropped down from the trees and was now talking with the original, her squad directly behind her.

Yes. _Her_.

This clone, and several others in the teams around them… were female.

All of them had an appearance similar to the form of Naruto's infamous 'sexy technique', though just like with the others, none had the exact same blonde hair or blue eyes, the one Naruto was talking to had brownish hair that fell simply down her back and had an attire similar to hunter-nins, a theme replicated by the clones behind her. And the other interesting thing was that there was no separation between the two gender types. It was as if his entire force was replicating an actually combat squad of real people, in fact, were it not for the fact that throughout the entire troop of clones, the only real similarity to the original was the three whisker marks adorning their cheeks, Kakashi would have thought these were a mysterious group of people that Naruto had convinced to follow his orders.

And thanks to his enhanced hearing, honed by years of combat experience, Kakashi could make out his student's conversation with the clone (though 'clone' was pushing it a little).

"Anything to report Serena?"

The clone replied in an oddly accented tone that Kakashi instantly recognized as the one he overheard last night. "No sir. We scanned the entire area. If these two were working with anyone, they aren't here"

"I see… Alright then, I want you and your squad to make a C-class perimeter around us at all times. I don't want anything more surprises on this trip okay? Link up with Casper and Talon to form up that perimeter"

The clone made a quick motion with her right hand, bringing it up to her forehead in a salute. "Yes sir!"

Naruto returned the gesture before turning away as the clone left with her squad.

"Sergeant Forge"

"Yes sir?" a clone with a slightly larger build with brown eyes and a more gruff tone, the same one that was leading the clones that engaged the demon brothers, said as he walked up, his dual katanas in long scabbards on his back.

"Take your squads and form up a close perimeter around us. Also keep enough in reserve to back up the recon teams. If anyone else does come after us, chances are they're gonna hit them first. And have at least one fireteam shadowing the old man at all times"

"You got it Chief" the clone replied as he saluted before going back to his teams.

As he did, Naruto himself turned away, quickly making his way past Sasuke and Sakura, who were still shocked by the odd force of clones that Naruto seemed to command without question, until he stood before Tazuna. He gave the obviously unsettled man a hard look before speaking.

"So Tazuna-san… Ready to tell us what the hell we _really_ signed up for?"

* * *

And so the Wave arc commences. As I said last chapter, expect some good some stuff from this. I am definitely going to have some fun with this.

And if you're confused about the clones, don't worry, more will be explained on them next chapter, as well as Naruto's reasoning behind creating such a diversified fighting force. For the record, the clones are going to play a _very_ large role in the story, both as a weapon and as actual characters. Expect more from them.

Oh, and kudos to the one who spots the Mounty Python and Halo references (expect more of both)

Of course, I found a way to include more NaruHinaness, and some craziness from Naruto and Shino.

Next Chapter: Demons in the Mist… and a fish. Oh and Tacos. Tasty Tacos.

Read and Review (or you shall trip on a rock. And there will be much rejoicing)


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XII**

**Operation Tsunami:**

**The Demon of the Mist… **

**And a Fish**

* * *

"So Tazuna-san… Ready to tell us what the hell we _really_ signed up for?"

The old man immediately stiffened, an action that was not lost on Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about... I just-"

"Drop the bullshit old man" Naruto cut him off, obviously annoyed by his client's deceit. "We know they were after you. You were the one they were targeting back there, not us"

Tazuna gulped, the memory of what had happened in the mission room now very fresh in his mind.

"We know you're lying, so if you still want our protection, I'd suggest you come clean and tell us what we're really dealing with here" out of the corner of his eye, Tazuna could see several of the clones that had been protecting him just a few minutes ago were now fingering their weapons.

The man sighed in defeat as he spoke, "All right. The reason I'm building this bridge, the real reason, is to save my country"

Everyone raised an eyebrow in curiosity, though they were content in letting Naruto do the talking.

"Save your county? I don't see how a bridge could do that"

"It can in our case. Listen, about fifteen years ago, a man named Gato set up part of his shipping industry in Wave country"

"Gato? Doesn't he run some massive shipping industry?" Sasuke spoke up.

"One of the biggest in the world" Kakashi answered. "He's one of the richest people in the elemental nations"

"Yeah. And a sniveling tyrant too" Tazuna spoke up, his hands clenched into fists in obvious anger. "At first we thought it would be a good thing. His company brought jobs and we thought it would be a major boost to our economy, which was already pretty good at the time. But he tricked us"

"How so?"

"About a year after he arrived, he gained more and more power over our trade and exports. Then, ten years ago, he and his hired mercenaries basically took over the country. They killed our Daimyo and exiled the rest of his family. We didn't know about it at first, but he soon made it apparent when he took over all the trade routs. He's starving us out now, making us work for almost no pay and no food. At first it wasn't so bad, but its only been getting worse in the past few years"

"Why don't you just leave then?" Naruto asked.

"We're an island nation kid. We can't just pack up and more somewhere else, especially with Gato's ships blockading the strait. That's why I'm building this bridge"

"So you can break the economic blockade right? The only reason he has so much control is because he controls the sea routs. A land route would almost dissolve that control" Naruto said, beginning to see the man's logic.

"Exactly" Tazuna answered, nodding grimly.

"Wait a minute, why didn't you come to us sooner then?" Sakura asked, "I'm sure Konoha would have helped you when he killed your Damiyo"

"We tried. But they said they weren't taking any missions"

"I'm not surprised" Kakashi spoke up, "We were still recovering from the Kyuubi attack back then"

"So those shinobi, they were under Gato's employ?" Naruto asked, things beginning to make sense now.

"Yes. We've been trying to build this bridge in secret up until now, but when Gato found out, we heard he was hiring shinobi, so I knew our only chance would be to hire shinobi of our own for protection"

"Why the deceit then?" Kakashi asked.

"Most of our money was spent on making the bridge. We only had enough to pay for a C-rank mission"

Silence reigned for a few seconds as everyone let this information sink in.

"Well, as it is, this mission is now at least B-rank, maybe higher" Kakashi said.

"Please… I'm begging you" Tazuna said, practically dropping to his knees, "If I die, the bridge dies, and if the bridge dies, our country will die. Please, help me finish this bridge! If I don't then… I can't bear to see my daughter and grandson suffer any more…"

Sasuke and Sakura looked slightly shocked at this gesture, but Naruto kept looking on in indifference.

"So please… I can pay you full price once the mission is over… but please… help me. Help _us_"

Naruto sighed as he thought it over, but it wasn't his call.

"Well sensei?" he asked, turning to the jounin.

"Well, as I said, this mission is at the least a B-rank now. I don't have a problem continuing. I can handle this kind of thing, but if you guys want to back out, it's your call"

At this, Naruto glanced to Sasuke and Sakura, finding just what he was expecting. Giving Kakashi a smirk, he spoke.

"Do you really have to ask, Kakashi?" the clones all around him shared a similar look. Sasuke and Sakura nodded in agreement.

The jounin smiled under his mask. Those three really were turning out alright, and his trial-by-fire idea might work even better under these conditions.

"Alright Tazuna, I guess we're staying then"

The old man looked disbelieving at first, then bowed his head.

"Thank you"

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he set the last of his paperwork in the 'out' bin. Maybe now he could finally relax. With that thought, he replaced the tobacco in his pipe and gave it a fresh puff.

As he closed his eyes to take a quick nap, his brow furrowed slightly as he sensed someone. But he quickly gave a soft smile as he recognized the chakra signature.

"I thought you were on a mission Naruto" he said, not opening his eyes.

"He is" came a voice that, while similar to the blonde's, was not Naruto.

Opening his eyes, Sarutobi found a familiar brown-haired boy with glasses and whisker-like scars standing in front of his desk, a clipboard in his hand.

"Ah, Ratchet. I thought something seemed different" the Sandaime was proud to know that he was one of the few that knew anything of the inner workings of the secret force of Kage Bunshin that Naruto had been assembling ever since the genin exams.

Unlike anyone else, Naruto wasn't dispelling most of the clones he made. Instead, he kept them alive, so he could slowly assemble a large force of clones for just about any purpose. From what Sarutobi knew, the blonde already had a force of over a thousand operating in and around Konoha.

At first, he had found it odd that Naruto would go as far as to make every clone unique in appearance. But Naruto had said that it gave them more individuality, and he simply preferred it that way.

Oh well, it wasn't like it was anything dangerous.

"So, what brings you here?"

The dark-haired boy adjusted his glasses as he handed Sarutobi the clipboard.

"We've been thinking of building our own place. The apartment's just not working out anymore"

"Your own place?" the Sandaime asked, curious.

"Yes, we found this spot behind the Hokage mountain. It's still technically within the city limits, but it's far enough out"

"But why do you want to be outside the city?"

"We'd… rather keep our distance from those… people"

Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly as he realized what he was talking about.

"I… doubt Naruto needs to be afraid of the villagers anymore. You all know you're capable of taking care of yourselves"

"Yeah… but it hasn't always been that way"

Now Sarutobi's eyes did widen as he saw the pained expression on the clone's face.

"So… the memories are returning?"

"Just bits and pieces from what he told me. Almost whenever he sleeps there, he keeps seeing more and more. He said he couldn't take it anymore, that's why were moving up this project"

"I see…" the old Hokage replied. It was odd really, from the way the clone was speaking, it seemed like Ratchet wasn't talking of himself, only his leader and creator. Sarutobi had seen it before, the incredible loyalty the clones had for their creator. It reminded him so much of when he looked into the eyes of his shinobi during the Third Great War. He could tell, that Naruto's creations were becoming far more then mere Bunshin.

But that statement settled it for the old man. Looking at the clipboard, he saw a list of raw materials.

"All we need from you are the rights to the location and the raw materials. We can handle the rest"

The Sandaime raised an eyebrow at this, than remembered that the clones had probably read up on advanced construction. Ratchet was, after all, the head of Naruto's Manufacturing and Construction Division.

"Alright. I can get you the rights to the land soon enough. Come by later today and I'll have the deed ready. The raw materials may take a little longer though… can your people transport them yourselves?"

"Of course"

"Okay then. I'll just write up an order and your people can pick them up"

"Sounds good. Thanks a lot Hokage-sama"

Sarutobi nodded in return. He supposed he owed Naruto this much for letting those things happen to the blonde.

* * *

Naruto gave a quick sneeze, breaking his concentration on watching the water.

Apart from a few bandits, the remainder of the trip had gone by without a hitch. Now, he and the rest of his team and their client were getting into a motorboat that would take them across the straits to Wave country. In addition to the four of them were his company leaders, plus their sub-commanders. First was Forge, the commander of Combat company Alpha, and his corporals Scorch, a wise-cracking red-head with a penchant for fire and a pair of wakizashis, and Wedge, a laid back clone with whitish-gray hair and a single katana. Second was Cody, the Defense company Theta commander, a quiet and reserved clone with black hair with a zanbatou on his back to accompany his large size, the largest of his clones by far, with his corporals Fixer, an intellectual with short, brown hair who held a katana, and Shelk, a quiet girl with long, bluish hair and a pair of tantos.

Finally was the commander of Recon company Sigma, Serena, along with her underlings; Casper, a female clone with short black hair with a pranking nature who specialized in ranged weapons, and Talon, a joking male clone with brown hair who carried a bow (Naruto had decided to have his recon teams experiment with other ranged weapons).

The company members had all henged into smaller objects that could be carried easily in the large backpacks that the company leaders where now wearing, a tactic that Naruto had come up with for mass transport of his forces. Even so, it was still a bit of a tight fit for the party of fourteen in the motorboat.

"Tazuna, I never thought you'd be bringing thirteen shinobi back with you" the boatman said as they shoved off, "Are you sure we can afford this?"

"Don't worry," Cody spoke up, "We aren't directly part of Konoha's forces"

"Huh?"

"The nine of us just work under him" Serena elaborated, gesturing to Naruto, "He's only paying for four shinobi"

The boatman looked confused, but then just chocked it up to 'some ninja thing'.

Sasuke was sitting in the back of the boat, next to Kakashi, Sakura and Tazuna, while Naruto and his clones occupied the middle and front areas. From his spot, Sasuke was watching the clones out of the corner of his eye as he feigned boredom.

That battle… it had happened so fast that he was still having trouble replaying it in his mind. He had jumped in front of Tazuna practically instinctively to protect him, even though he was setting himself up to practically be turned into a human pin-cushion. Sakura may have frozen up and that would have gotten her killed, but he had to admit that his actions weren't that much smarter.

Naruto on the other hand, had reacted with the speed and skill of a seasoned shinobi. He hadn't even so much as paused in shock when Kakashi had been entrapped by the chains. He had acted quickly, and without the slightest bit of hesitation. And then there were his clones, though Sasuke was wondering whether that term did them any justice at all. When the smoke bombs had gone off, all he had felt was being suddenly plucked off his feet, and the next thing he knew, he was slung over the shoulder of a large clone (Hammer, as he recalled) up in the trees above the road among several others. Naruto's bunshin had acted quickly and effectively, engaging the Demon Brothers and almost effortlessly killing them in a quick (though perhaps overly flashy) defeat. In fact, when Kakashi had reprimanded Naruto for needlessly drawing out the battle, the blonde had simply replied that he wanted to test his teams in a live-fire situation, as the blonde had put it. And he also wondered why exactly the blonde had created such different appearances and personalities for his clones. He had considered asking, but based on Naruto's track record, he'd just get a 'no', along with an insinuation that he (Sasuke) was emo, gay, or some obscure fruit that Sasuke had never heard of (seriously, he had never even _heard_ of pineapple before)

All in all, it meant that not only was Naruto strong, he was smart too. He was every bit the shinobi that Sasuke aspired to be. He killed without hesitation, was unfazed by the sight of the dead, and didn't hesitate in the face of death. And there was something else about him, something that Sasuke wasn't sure he could ever match. He was a leader. When he gave out orders to his clones, he reminded Sasuke of Kakashi, or the things he had read about the Hokages. It was ironic, that after he had given up on that dream, the blonde's dream of being Hokage didn't seem such a far-fetched idea to Sasuke now. But regardless, one fact remained. Naruto was getting stronger, so much stronger, and so fast. At this rate… he'd probably catch up with Itachi before he caught up with the blonde. And there was another thing… Sasuke had always scoffed at the idea of teamwork. Teammates would be a distraction, and that he could look after himself. But seeing Naruto's clones in action, and how the entire unit of the blonde and his bunshin functioned… it was making Sasuke rethink that logic. At first, he thought that working with clones didn't count as teamwork. After all, they're just chakra replications of yourself, it wasn't like they were people unto themselves. But Naruto's clones seemed to have transcended that detail. Seeing them interact, it made Sasuke feel like they were actual people instead of clones. Perhaps teammates weren't as useless after all…

Meanwhile, Sakura was still a little weirded out by the fact that these… 'people' were really Naruto's kage bunshin. And what weirded her out even more was the fact that Naruto had created _female_ clones. When she first noticed that, she almost had the thought that she might have competition for Sasuke-kun, then she remembered that these were _Naruto's_ clones she was talking about. Though she had to admit, she was a bit jealous of Naruto's female clones… she had a feeling they would be attracting quite a bit of attention if they were out in the open. She could swear she had seen the boatman staring at Serena briefly.

"You know, I can't really decide whether to think you ogling me is hilarious or really creepy" Casper spoke up, a smirk on her face as she noticed Sasuke eyeing her and the others.

Sasuke immediately paled slightly, before turning his head completely away, trying to hide his embarrassment while Casper, Talon and Scorch laughed at his expense, the others just shaking their heads or chuckling.

Up at the front of the boat, Naruto chuckled. He was sitting next to Serena, who sat at the bow, Forge to her left. The blonde had decided to stow the book for the time being. He and the others needed to stay on their tows for this. For all they knew, they might have an A-rank or higher missing-nin after them. That's why he had their forth company, a S.T.A.H.K.E.R. fireteam, under the command of the quiet assassin Fordo, take an underwater route into the country. They were currently following underwater behind their boat to take care of any… unexpected encounters.

But for now, they could relax, if only a little.

Naruto returned his gaze to the dim outline of the islands, barely visible in the fog, as he reached into one of his jacket pockets to retrieve some pocky.

As he chewed on the treat, his thoughts drifted back to his last training session with Hinata. That feeling… holding her in his arms… why did that feel so… right?

The sound of a motor being cut off broke his musings as he looked back to the driver, who was now rowing them along with an oar.

"I have to keep the engine off, otherwise they might hear us coming"

Naruto nodded as he looked to his clones, seeing them nod in return. He then made a quick seal as he transmitted a message.

"_Fordo, be on guard. We're almost there. Watch yourself"_

"_Understood Chief"_

As the boat continued forward, Naruto suddenly noticed the giant gray mass coming out of the fog.

"Whoa" Naruto said simply, Forge and Scorch whistled while the others just looked on at the giant mass of concrete and steel rising out of the water.

"I take it that's the bridge?" Kakashi spoke up.

"It is"

"How complete is it?" Talon asked

"So far, we've gotten about 50 percent of it done, but with your protection we should be able to move much faster. We could even have it done in under two weeks"

"That seems a little optimistic" Cody said.

"Maybe, but this is the key to their salvation" Naruto replied.

"True"

* * *

About thirty minutes later, the boat had docked, and the shinobi and client had disembarked.

"_Serena, what's your status?"_

"_We're good. All teams are moving as ordered"_

"_What's the terrain like here?"_

"_Not good. We've already mapped out a path to Tazuna's house, and it's pretty congested. Most of the path is narrow and surrounded by either woods or ocean. Plenty of good places for an ambush"_

"_Alright, keep a wide-spread formation around us, and have Talon's team keep close. If we can't see an ambush coming, at least we can be ready to repel it"_

"_On it sir"_

"Okay guys, listen up" Naruto said, speaking to Forge, Cody and Fordo and their corporals while Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and Tazuna looked on from a ways away, "You heard Serena, so we'll just assume an ambush. By now, they must know that the Demon Brothers failed, so if Gato has any sense, he'll send someone stronger this time. We're going to put up a full-armored Hedgehog position this time. Cody, I want you and your people making up the shield tier. Forge, you take the Sword tier. Keep it to the ten to fifteen meter range at all times. I want to be able to move to any direction at a moments notice. Fordo, you guys follow behind. You're our trump card for this one. Any questions?"

No hands went up.

"Alright then. Let's move out people"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, and the small group, augmented by Naruto's forces, was moving through the woods that led to Tazuna's house.

Tazuna was at the center of their formation, with Sasuke and Sakura slightly ahead to the right and left, while Naruto and Kakashi walked behind. Surrounding them were exactly twenty clones from Theta company in a rough diamond formation, along with Cody in the front and Fixer and Shelk at the flanks. Kakashi had decided to take Naruto's advice on the formation they held, and besides, the clones were Naruto's to command, not his. The jounin had to admit, Naruto had done a very good job at setting up a perimeter around Tazuna. Even if all of these clones couldn't be more then mid to high-genin level, the sheer number and coordination of their forces meant they could be a force not to be underestimated.

Naruto meanwhile, couldn't help the sense of paranoia he was feeling. But he supposed that was a good thing. After all, paranoid people tend to live longer. Not only did they have Cody and Theta company as a last line of defense, but, unknown to Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna, Alpha company had set up a mobile perimeter around them in the woods comprising of Forge, Scorch, Wedge and thirty members of their forces. Then there was Serena and her company performing recon. All in all, nothing was getting within half a click of Tazuna without him knowing. Of course, that barred any… unforeseen variables. But then, that was why he had a few trump cards to call on.

Each of his companies was composed of exactly fifty clones, or two platoons, commanded by the Company Sergeant, plus the two Corporals commanding each of the component platoons. Most of the time however, most of the company's forces were kept in reserve, or stored in henge'd transport mode by the commanders. That way, they could keep a smaller number of forces out to keep a lower profile and maintain tactical maneuverability while retaining an emergency reserve of reinforcements should the need arise.

The exception to this was the special forces, the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.'s mainly. Since Naruto could only make so many (due to the difficulty of molding youki in such a manner), there were only a few of them in existence currently. In fact, Naruto had only brought five S.T.A.H.K.E.R.'s on this mission. Fordo, the first S.T.A.H.K.E.R. and their general commander, Rosso, his second in command, Nero, Auel and Virgil. But these clones were easily the strongest he had ever made. While most of his clones maintained only 50 percent of his actual strength and power, the commanders having 70 percent, the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.'s possessed roughly 85 percent, putting them at a low to mid chunin level (Naruto had estimated his actual strength at mid to high chunin). Needless to say, the five youki-infused clones following them at a discreet distance would make on hell of a trump card should the need arise.

Then there was Kakashi of course, but while Naruto knew he could count on the jounin's help, he also knew that it was not something he could always rely on. And as a last line of defense, he always had demon form to fall back on in an emergency.

All in all, Naruto was confident that they could take just about anything that came at them, provided that it wasn't anything more then an A-rank ninja. Although, Naruto did have a tactic planned to use should they be attacked by an S-rank shinobi, and that tactic was: "Run away. Very fast"

* * *

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei" Naruto suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?" the jounin replied as he looked up from his porn.

"I've been wondering about something for a while and I thought you might be able to shed a little light on it"

"Okay, shoot"

"Do you know anything about armor that's resistant to chakra?"

Now Kakashi's eye widened, only slightly, though it was enough to convey his shock.

"What brought this on?" he asked, his voice far more serious then before.

"The Demon brothers, somehow that armor they were wearing was able to resist the Ryuuka's we used on them. Granted, it wasn't enough to save them, but it was enough to force us to go a little overboard"

"Then that's why you used all those Goukakyuus and Daibakuha's?"

"Yep. When we first felt it, we decided to not take any chances with it, so we went all out"

Kakashi nodded as he took in this new information.

"So, I take it that you do know something about armor like that?"

"Yes. If it's the kind I'm familiar with, then it's known as 'Chakra Armor'. It originates in Snow Country, and it's a dangerous weapon. It draws on the user's chakra to deflect other chakra. In other words, it makes them resistant to most kinds of ninjutsu and almost completely immune to all but the strongest genjutsu"

"I see… So if they're unique to the Land of Snow, then how did two Kiri nuke-nin get a hold of a pair?" Naruto asked.

"Snow Country went through a coup-de-tat about ten years ago. The damiyo's brother, a man named Dotou, used a secret ninja force he had created to take over the country and wipe out the government. Almost the entire royal family was wiped out in a bloody massacre" Kakashi began, a forlorn look appearing on his face.

"And let me guess, you were there right?" Naruto said, reading the expression perfectly.

"Yeah. My ANBU team and I were tasked with evacuating as much of the royal family to safety as we could. The only one we were able to save was the Damiyo's daughter, a girl by the name of Koyuki"

"What happened to her?"

"We got her out of there and sent her underground with one of our contacts. A new life, so to speak. I hear she works in the movie business now. Anyway, as I was saying, this Dotou character was the one who invented the chakra armor, Snow country was always at the forefront of replicating ancient and lost technology, so I'd imagine that he's been selling out his toys to people who either work for him, or high-payers like Gato"

"So we can expect to see more of these armors?"

"Maybe"

"Then we'll just assume yes then"

Kakashi gave a small smile at that. Naruto was acting more and more like a seasoned ANBU every day, especially now that they were in an actual combat situation. He was turning out quite all right.

Turning a page in his book, a thought suddenly occurred to the jounin as his eye fell on one of the female clones, Shelk as he recalled.

"Hey Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"If you can make female clones… have you ever been tempted to do… you know…" Kakashi said, trying to convey his point while keeping the language PG-rated (for Sasuke's and Sakura's sakes), "…_that_?" he finished, making a gesturing tapping on his book to try to show what he meant.

The moment Naruto saw this, his eyes widened slightly, before settling into a very serious look and gazing out ahead.

"Kakashi" he spoke in a very low, very serious tone, "There are certain things that I have sworn to never, _ever_, make any of my clones do in all but the most _extreme_ of circumstances. _That_… is one of them" he finished as he gave Kakashi a look that said he was _very_ offended by the question.

"Oookay…" the jounin mumbled to himself more then anyone else, not sure what to make of that.

* * *

A few minutes later, the woods had pulled back, and the group was moving along a large inlet. To their left was the large body of water, while the woods remained to their right.

But as they were walking, Naruto began to notice something. The mist, which had been rather light since they had made landfall, was getting thicker.

"Damn mist" Tazuna swore, "Always comes in at the worst time"

Though their client was obviously irked by the whether, Naruto and Kakashi (along with Naruto's soldiers) felt a slight bit of relief. Tazuna's reaction said that this sort of thing was common, and therefore this was probably a natural occurrence. But even so, Naruto decided to check on his recon.

"_Serina, is this mist hampering your senses?"_

But the response he got was anything but comforting.

" '_zzztt'…Chief! This mist is blocking our senses!...'zzztt' We can barely get anything! 'zzztt'… It's definitely chakra induced!... 'zzztt'" _

This was not good. The only thing that could cause interference in his com channels with his clones was a very thick mass of chakra between them.

"_How wide a range?"_

"_At least an acre!... 'zzztt'… And it's getting thicker! 'zzztt'" _

Naruto grimaced. He could see that too. Visibility was dropping at a slow but steady rate. The only way he could tell was due to the fact that his eyes were constantly adjusting to the lower light source.

"Guys, heads up" he spoke in a deathly serious tone that made everyone look to him.

Tazuna just looked curious while Sakura and Sasuke could tell _something_ must have been up, while Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. If Naruto was being this serious, then whatever it was, it had to be bad.

"This mist isn't natural. Its chakra induced"

Now Kakashi's eye widened as he realized just what they could be dealing with.

"The Kirigakure technique…"

"Wait, how can you tell?" Sakura spoke up, now very creeped out by how serious Naruto was being.

"My recon clones are having their senses jammed. No normal mist can do that. I'm even getting interference in my com channels. And if it's that thick to do that then…"

"Whoever we're dealing with is either at least A-rank, or there's more then one of them" Kakashi finished.

"I smell a trap" Naruto said grimly, "Now what?"

Kakashi spoke very simply. "Spring the trap"

Naruto looked to the jounin, before nodding and opening up a frequency with Alpha company.

"_Forge, what's your status?"_

"_Visibility's at near zero sir! We can't see much of anything!" _

"_Scorch here, I got the same here!"_

"_This is Wedge, same problem" _

"_Damn. Talon?"_

"_Not much better sir"_

"_Okay then, Forge, Scorch, Wedge, scatter! Whoever this is, they don't know about all of us! Let's keep it that way. Fordo, move your team up, but stay low. All forces, assume emergency standby status!"_

"_Yes sir!"_

Naruto opened his eyes to see Theta company taking up defensive positions. If it just was one enemy, then they'd have a numerical advantage, and then Forge and the others could back them up.

A rustling in the bushes broke him from his musings.

With a flick of his wrist, Naruto sent a kunai flying into the bushes. On que, fireteam Fidchell moved in a flash, diving into the bush with weapons drawn.

After a few seconds of tense waiting, one clone popped out, holding the mauled corpse of a rabbit.

"False alarm"

"What the hell?! You just killed that poor rabbit!" Sakura yelled, offended by the seemingly senseless murder of an innocent.

"Get over it. That could have been an enemy for all we know. And besides, now we have some dinner later" Naruto said as he caught the corpse the clone threw to him and proceeded to quickly seal it in a scroll he pulled from one of his many pockets.

Sakura just looked on in shock and disgust while Sasuke shook his head. Kakashi rolled his eye.

"What?"

Naruto's confused expression was broken as Serena's voice suddenly entered his head, along with the distant sound of something flying through the air.

"_Chief! Incoming, six o'clock high!" _

"DOWN!!" Kakashi and Naruto simultaneously yelled. Kakashi dove forward, taking Tazuna down while Sasuke forced the still-confused Sakura to the ground. Naruto, Cody and Theta company simply ducked as a massive zanbatou spun over them like a spinning top of doom.

The sword came to a halt as it impacted a tree, sticking into it.

Naruto looked up, a scowl on his face as he saw the swords owner suddenly appeared via shunshin atop his weapon.

He seemed roughly the same age as Kakashi and had a similar height and build. He had short, close-cropped dark hair, and no eyebrows. His clothing consisted of grayish camo pants with black ninja sandals. He wore a pair of leather vambracers on his forearms. He wore nothing over his chest apart from a large leather strap that was obviously used for holding his massive sword. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he noticed the Kiri head-band on the side of his head.

"Heh, you've got good senses to hear me coming through that mist, I'll give you that" said the man, his voice muffled by the bandages covering the lower half of his face.

Naruto's eyes narrowed further as he began putting the pieces together. A missing-nin from Kiri, a massive zanbatou, and the extreme skill to go with it…

"Zabuza Momochi" Kakashi addressed in a low tone as he got to his feet, "A-rank Kirigakure nuke-nin and former member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist"

Naruto breathed a small sigh of relief. It could have been worse certainly. At least they had a chance against this guy.

"Well well well. Kakashi the Copy-nin eh?" Zabuza replied, his gaze settling on the jounin, "I didn't expect to meet someone as infamous as you. Though I suppose it explains why the Demon Brothers failed"

"Oh? So those were your lackies?" Naruto spoke up, catching the man's attention, "I'd suggest finding some better help then. They went down so easily after all"

Zabuza raised a non-existent eyebrow at this, "Are you saying _you_ beat those two, brat?"

Naruto didn't react to the taunt at all as he chuckled.

"I got their heads if you want any last words with 'em"

Zabuza eyes widened slightly, the kid certainly wasn't lying, before chuckling, "Heh. And here I thought Konoha genin these days were just a bunch of wusses and cowards"

"Anyway… As I was saying, Kakashi," he began again, looking to the masked ninja, "Hand over the bridge builder and maybe I won't have to kill you"

Kakashi simply pulled out a kunai, "That's not going to happen"

To this, the nuke-nin simply laughed.

"Bold words Kakashi. But I wonder if you can back them up. After all, aren't yo-"

"FISH!!!"

Everyone looked to see Naruto, eyes wide, pointing out to the water. Where a fish was jumping out of the water.

"Uh…. What was that about?" Zabuza said, his dark and threatening aura dumbed down significantly due to the 'WTF?' expression on his face.

"Oh, I was hoping I could distract you with that…" Naruto began, that same cheery, yet creepy grin on his face. But Zabuza was a bit more understanding now. After all, underhanded tactics like that were all part of the shinobi world. It might not have worked, but it was certainly novel…

"…but mostly I just like to confuse people"

Or maybe not.

"Kid… you have issues"

"Doesn't that make for a powerful shinobi?" Naruto countered.

'_He does have a point there…'_ Zabuza thought, though this kid was giving him a serious case of déjà vu.

Up in the trees some distance away, brownish eyes watched behind a mask, their owner smiling in mirth.

'_I like this kid'_

Back with the others, Zabuza was about to go back to his 'evil villain rant' when he suddenly noticed something.

Kakashi wasn't there anymore.

'_Shit! I got distracted!'_ he thought as he dropped off his sword just as Kakashi reappeared and swiped at him with his kunai. Gripping his zanbatou as he fell, he ripped his weapon out of the tree before vaulting off its trunk to land on the water's edge. He then noticed the others had surrounded the bridge builder in a two-tiered formation with weapons drawn. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Cody, Fixer and Shelk were in the first tier while the outer tier was made up of the remainder of Theta company. Kakashi soon followed him, landing between him and the formation.

"If you want a fight Zabuza, then you've got one" Kakashi spoke as his hand went to his head band, pulling it up to reveal his other eye. A blood-red eye with three black tomoes.

"Well well. The Sharingan already? I'm honored Kakashi", the former kiri-nin spoke. Those behind the jounin however, were having mixed reactions.

'_Sharingan?! But how…? He's not an Uchiha… how can he possess one…?' _Sasuke thought, his eyes wide with shock.

Sakura's eyes were widened too as she looked to Sasuke. _'Sharingan? Isn't that Sasuke-kun's…?'_

Naruto on the other hand, had a small smirk on his face, _'So, I guess the rumors were true after all. Sharingan Kakashi, the only person outside the Uchiha clan to wield its mighty power'_

"Yes… you are the legendary Copy ninja after all. But I wonder how well that eye of yours will work against me… when you can't even _see me_" with that he made a hand seal… whispered.

"Kirigakure no jutsu"

As he finished, the mist surrounding them thickened even further. Naruto scowled. Before, visibility may have been poor for people with normal eyes like Sasuke and Sakura, but his enhanced vision had still allowed him to see well enough. But now, it was like he was standing in vat of white soup. He could hardly see at all. He could only barely make out the members of Theta company around them, though Cody, Tazuna and the others near him were still mostly visible. Kakashi and Zabuza however, had disappeared completely.

"_Serina, due you read me?"_

"'…_zzzzt…' Si-…'zzzt'… n't…'zzztt'"_

"_Forge? Talon? Fordo? Anyone?"_

All he got in return was static and garbled words.

'_Damn. The mist's so thick I can't even get through to the others'_ thankfully, he found that he could at least maintain a mental contact with Theta company. He was broken from this as he heard Kakashi yell from the mist.

"Is this the best you've got Zabuza? Hiding from me in the mist like a coward? Do you really think that cheap tactics like that will work on me?"

"You do have a point there… Kakashi, I know that you're powerful enough to take me on… but what about those kids of yours? I doubt that they've ever felt the fear of death like you and I have"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke shouted into the mist where he thought Zabuza was. He had felt the fear of death… his own brother had put that fear in him five years ago.

"Ha hah hah hah ha… I highly doubt that. Let's see how you deal with some real fear… BRAT!"

The moment he finished… Sasuke froze. Froze at the feeling surrounding him… It could only be described… as _fear_. It surrounded him… it permeated him… it felt like if was _inside_ him. He instantly knew what it was. This… was Killing Intent. And it was from a hardened jounin… he suddenly remembered that five years ago… Itachi hadn't used any KI on him that night. This was… this was worse then anything he had ever felt before.

Next to him, Sakura was faring no better.

What Naruto, and even Kakashi had hit her with was _nothing_ compared to this. She couldn't move… she couldn't think… she could hardly _breath_.

'_This… this killing intent… so much… I… I can't breath…'_

"Whoa…" Naruto spoke, his eyes wide, "This much killing intent? That must have been one bad taco"

(Que mass sweatdrop)

The effects of the KI seemingly gone like a morning mist, Sasuke and Sakura looked to him, the same 'WTF?' expression as usual on their faces.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was resisting the urge to laugh. Trust Naruto to make light of such a situation by insinuating that Zabuza's Killing Intent was because he happened to be constipated.

Meanwhile, Zabuza was having slightly different thoughts.

'_How did he know that?'_

Up in the trees above them, the masked ninja was currently laughing her ass off.

'_Okay, now I _really_ like this kid'_

Through his mild chuckling, Kakashi yelled back to his team.

"Don't worry Sasuke, Sakura. I won't let him get to you. I protect my teammates with my life," he spoke as he looked back to Zabuza, "That's a promise"

"Oh really?" the swordsman shot back, "I'll admit Kakashi, you might be at my level of skill, but I wonder if you know about… my specialty"

He smirked as he made out Kakashi's grimace through the mist.

"Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. The Silent Killing technique"

Kakashi scowl hardened as he spoke again. "You really think a cheap trick like that will work on me Zabuza? I've beaten far worse then you"

"Maybe… but what about that team of yours"

'_Damn. I was afraid he'd say that'_ Kakashi swore as he felt Zabuza's presence disappear into the mist.

Naruto grimaced himself as he heard their exchange.

"Everybody… watch yourselves… this is a dangerous one"

"_Ahh… so you know of it? I'll give you credit kid, you certainly do your homework… but it's not going to do you any good against me"_

Through the mist, they could hear Zabuza's voice. But it was different. It sounded like it was coming from all directions. Even Naruto, with his advanced and sensitive hearing, couldn't pin it down.

"_But for your two teammates… I bet they don't know about it… perhaps I should explain it to them?"_

Naruto shook his head as he noticed Sasuke and Sakura. Both now looked _very _scared. People like Zabuza were very adept at psychological warfare. To instill fear in your opponents, making them far easier targets. He might be immune to such tactics, but his teammates were in no such luck.

"_With this style of fighting… I can strike from anywhere in this mist… Sight… sound… smell… all are useless against me in this mist… You won't hear me coming until you stand before the gates of hell itself…"_

Now they were _really_ freaked out.

"_Heart… Lungs… Throat… Carotid artery… Trachea… Spinal Column… Brain… So many places where I can strike… If I hit you in any of those… you'd be dead for sure… Perhaps I can give you a… __**demonstration**__"_

Naruto flinched as he heard several yells of pain as at least half of outer tier of their formation was wiped out. He sighed as he felt Kyuubi filter out their incoming memories and redirect them into storage sector of his brain. That way, those clones could be re-summoned later.

"_I'll admit, that's an interesting strategy of yours… Using Kage Bunshin as your own soldiers… You must have quite the chakra stores… but these guys are nothing more then genin strength. Did you really think that they could do anything against me?"_

The moment he finished, Naruto scowled as he felt the remainder of their outer tier being obliterated. This guy was serious.

"_Now… shall I show you… just how quiet I can be with this technique?"_

Naruto's eyes widened, before he looked to Cody, Shelk and Fixer, who nodded. With a quick, deliberate motion, they flipped their grip on their weapons… and thrust them backwards…

…and turned Zabuza into a human pin-cushion.

"H-How…" Zabuza stammered. Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna jumped in shock as they just noticed the ninja standing amongst them. "How did you know…?"

Naruto just smirked. "You talk too much, you know that? When you said that you'd show us just how good you are with that technique, we knew that there was only one place you would turn up. And that place was right in the middle of our formation, right where it would appear to be the hardest to get to"

He raised an eyebrow as Zabuza began to chuckle.

"Heh… heh… heh… Not bad kid. You are pretty quick on the draw there… But…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized something. The body… The resistance it had put up was…

"…so am I"

With that, Zabuza's body fell apart in a mass of water.

Naruto's eyes widened briefly, before he scowled.

"Shit"

As the squelching sound of flesh being rest met his ears, Naruto looked down to find the massive zanbatou, stained a bloody crimson, emerging from his chest.

"It's over kid" Zabuza smirked from behind the skewered blonde.

"That it is"

* * *

And… CLIFFHANGER!!!

Wow, not only did I think I broke my record for update time, but I think this might be my biggest cliffhanger yet.

I was debating whether or not to finish up the battle in one chapter, but I figured that I could break it up more and update faster (something that I know will make most of you happy).

And to those who were confused about why I gave the demon bros. armor, I hope I cleared up that issue, as well as why Naruto's clones went a little overboard last chapter. And Zabuza isn't wearing chakra armor this time, though that may be subject to change in the final battle.

For those who are wondering just how many clones Naruto brought with him, he brought about 150, not counting the commanders/S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s

On another note, I got a few reviews/PMs asking whether or not Anko will be playing a big role or not. The answer: She will. I plan on having a lot of fun with her interactions with Naruto.

Anyway, Next chapter: Operation Tsunami Part II: Trial By Fire (ironic neh?)

"_Jester, is our little present ready?"_

"_Yes sir!"_

"_Alright then, launch Alkaline Bomb on my mark! 3… 2… 1…" _

Read and Review please. (They make me write faster)


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XIII**

**Operation Tsunami Part II:**

**Trial By Fire**

**(ironic neh?)**

* * *

"It's over" Zabuza spoke in a low, smug voice. His massive zanbatou skewering Naruto through the chest.

But the smirk on his face dropped as he noticed something. Something… was different about the kid. His hair… had changed. It was no longer blonde, instead a pale silver. And his jacket had changed to a complete black with an odd emblem on it. And then there was the fact that the odd swords in his hands had been replaced by a long, black metal nodachi. A sword that was currently in his stomach.

"That it is"

With that, Zabuza flinched again as a familiar pair of Scimitars were thrust into his side, and a kunai into his neck.

Kakashi sighed in relief. Naruto certainly was a genius with kawarimi.

"Don't get to comfy Kakashi" Naruto spoke in low voice, before ripping his swords out as the water clone they had skewered collapsed.

"Damn" Kakashi swore. Zabuza was certainly living up to his reputation.

"Well, it wasn't a complete loss" Fordo spoke, seemingly unfazed by the massive hole in his chest as he held up his sword, the presence of actual blood on it obvious. "At least I was able to get him in the stomach"

Naruto nodded in return before approaching the Spec-Ops commander, placing his hand on the clone's shoulder. As he did, Kakashi was shocked to find that the massive hole in the clone's stomach stitching itself back together with a glow of raw chakra. And another thing, shouldn't that clone have been dispelled when it was impaled? It appeared that some of Naruto's clones were far sturdier then he first thought.

"You sure that was smart Chief?" Fordo spoke.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of chakra to spare" the blonde replied, "In any event, we should get ready for a counterattack"

"Yeah" Cody agreed as he rested his large sword on his shoulder, "Since he's injured, we should probably expect Mizu bunshin"

"Agreed" Naruto replied. _"Hey Jester, you read me?"_

"'…_zzzt' More or less Chief. '…zzzt' What's up?"_

"_I need you to set up a welcome mat around us. Can you do that in say… two minutes?"_

"_On it Chief!"_

Naruto smirked. Jester and his combat engineers (five in total) were waiting along the edge of the woods, and if he could get in touch with them, then the mist must be lifting. The injury Fordo gave Zabuza must have weakened the jutsu.

Though when he tried to reach Serena, Forge or the others, he found that it wasn't down to that level yet. Damn.

"Wait" Kakashi suddenly spoke up, "I think I sense him. Wait here!" with that he ran towards the lake.

Turning to look, Naruto's eyes widened as he made out a silhouette on the water. Zabuza… and he looked to be hunched over. Perfect. If Kakashi could take him out now, when he was weak, then they were set.

Kakashi smirked as he raised his kunai, rushing the injured jounin.

'_Got you now!'_

And with a quick motion, he beheaded the hunched form of the nuke-nin…

…only for it to turn to water.

'_Damn! Kawarimi again!'_ Kakashi swore, only for his eyes to widen as he made out Zabuza cackling.

"Ha Ha!! You fell for it! Now you pay to price for it Kakashi!" As he heard that, Kakashi noticed something. The water from the Mizu bunshin wasn't falling back into the lake. It was wrapping around _him_!

'_No… this technique is…!'_

"Suiton: Suirou no jutsu!" Zabuza called with a victorious cry as a sphere of water rose up, surrounding Kakashi and trapping him in Zabuza's grasp.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled from the shore, an angered scowl on his face. He had read up on that technique in one of the many trips his clones had taken to the Konoha shinobi archives. That jutsu may keep Zabuza pinned, but it also meant that their strongest member was out of the game, leaving them at Zabuza's mercy.

"Heh. Now that I have you where I want you… time to take care of those brats" Zabuza spoke as he made a one-handed seal. As he did, at least twenty water clones rose from the lake.

"You kids should stop playing around. Now you blondie," he spoke, obviously meaning Naruto, "You might have some potential, but your teammates don't have any right being shinobi. I'll bet none of you have seen death like _I _have. Never witnessed a slaughter of all your friends… _first hand_"

The two genin's eyes widened in shock, both at the implications… and the savage grin on the man's face. Naruto's face only hardened, as he spoke in a low voice.

"You're referring to the infamous genin exams of Kirigakure I take it? The exams that earned it the nickname, 'Bloody Mist'?"

If anything, Zabuza's grin only widened, "Yes… I am indeed"

"Bloody Mist? Naruto… what is he talking about?" Sakura spoke, her voice quivering in unease and fear.

The blonde closed his eyes as he began to speak in a low tone. "Prior to the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure used a very… unorthodox form of exam for their genin graduation, enacted soon after the Second Great Ninja War by their Sandaime Mizukage, and continued by their Yondaime Mizukage. This exam… was nothing short of brutal"

Zabuza's smirk widened as he saw Sasuke and Sakura look on in shock as Naruto continued.

"Throughout the years at the academy, students would be paired up as partners. They would train together, learn together, practically _live_ together for their time there. And this is where the graduation exam came in."

"The examination… forced each pair of students to fight each other… to the death"

Now his teammate's eyes truly widened. Sakura's hands went to her mouth in horror as Sasuke simply gaped in disbelief.

"That… That's horrible!" Sakura spoke, struggling to find her voice. "They… They really do that in Kirigakure?"

"Not anymore no." Naruto answered, "Any genin or academy student training method or examination that could be harmful to its participants other than their chunin examinations were outlawed by the Ame-Kusa treaty fifteen years ago. But the fact is that Kiri had already abolished this practice by then… because of a certain incident"

"Wh-What incident?"

"One year, one of the students did something different then what he had been ordered. He didn't kill his partner"

"He… didn't?" Sasuke asked.

"No… He killed the whole class."

If Sasuke hadn't been gaping in horror before, he sure was now.

"Every boy and girl he had known for the past five years. This boy killed them all. Because of this… massacre… the Yondaime Mizukage and Kiri's elder council decided that such a practice was more of a determent then an advantage. So the practice was abolished."

"So… you're saying…" Sasuke spoke slowly as he turned his head back to the figure on the water, "That… this guy was…?"

"Yes… The name of that boy… was Zabuza Momochi. He earned the title 'Demon of the Mist' before he was even a genin."

As Sasuke and Sakura stared in looks of shock and horror, the former kiri-nin chuckled darkly.

"Yes… I remember it like it was yesterday… My first slaughter. The warm blood on my hands… the look of fear in their eyes as I stole their life away… It was euphoric. And that is why you brats are weak. You stare death in the face, frozen like cow at slaughter. You want to run, but your body refuses to move. You've never seen death before… never felt it hover before like a ghostly specter… And that is why you're going to die right here."

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura! Take Tazuna, and get out of here!" Kakashi yelled, somehow able to speak from inside the bubble of water he was trapped in.

"But… but what about you sensei?" Sakura spoke up, the initial shock and fear finally wearing off.

"That doesn't matter! You don't stand a chance against this guy on your own! The mission comes first! Now get the hell out of here!"

Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes widened as they realized what their sensei was trying to do.

'_He… He's going to sacrifice himself? So we can get away?'_

"Heh… Sorry Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto spoke in a low tone, the cocky smirk returning to his face, "But that's not going to happen"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he tried to yell back but Naruto cut him off.

"I'd rather be trash… then something worse. Isn't that right?" he said, turning to not only his clones, but to Sasuke and Sakura as well. His two teammates instantly realized what he meant… and both nodded in return.

Now the jounin's eye truly widened, before he shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"I think I taught you a little _too_ well"

"I think you taught us enough" Naruto replied, a smirk forming on his face.

"_Forge, Serina, you read me?"_

"_Loud and clear sir! He must have dropped the mist coverage so he could see you better. That or it was taking too much chakra"_

"_Perfect"_

"_Should we move to attack?"_

"_Not yet"_ Naruto replied.

"_Sir?"_

"_Jester can take care of those clones, but once he does, we don't stand a chance against this guy without Kakashi. We need to free him up first. And I have just the plan. Stay on standby and wait for my order"_

"… _Yes sir" _

"Well, you certainly have some loyal student's Kakashi. That, or foolish ones. Though I think it's probably the latter, as they'll soon see!" Zabuza spoke as his clones suddenly drew their swords, preparing to charge.

Naruto's expression changed to one of grim determination as he turned to his teammates.

"Okay you two, listen up" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at Naruto's tone. It was… odd being addressed with it, "We only have one chance at this. My people can take care of those clones, but if we want any chance at this, we have to free Kakashi-sensei"

Sasuke and Sakura nodded. It was certainly an odd feeling… being addressed like this. They had hardly ever seen Naruto _this_ serious, and never had he addressed them with this serious of a tone.

"Now, I may not like you two, and I sure as hell know that you don't like me… But if we don't pull together like a team, then we are dead" he continued, giving them a serious glare that said he would be taking _none_ of their usual behavior towards him. "I have a plan, but I need both of you with me to make it work. You need to follow my orders to the letter for this to work, so stow the bullshit and listen carefully because if you don't then we are _dead_, you got that? _DEAD_. Okay?"

Sasuke's expression morphed from one of shock and fear, to one of acceptance and determination, Sakura's too. Naruto… he had this effect on people. You just… felt like you had to listen to him. Like if you put your faith in him, that everything would be okay. Sasuke briefly wondered if this was what it was like being around a true leader. Not even Kakashi had had this effect on him.

Both nodded.

"Alright then" Naruto spoke, nodding in return as he looked back to the water clones, which looked just about ready to charge, "Sasuke, how many Gokakyuus can you do?"

"I can manage about ten, maybe eleven"

"Okay. How many Housenkas?"

"About ten barrages. Each about fifteen fireballs"

"Good. And you both still have those fuma shurikens right?"

He got two nods.

"Perfect. Alright, here's the plan. As soon as I take out the clones, I want you to…"

Meanwhile, Zabuza had had enough waiting.

"Well, I think I've given them enough time to come up with whatever useless plan" and with a mental command, his fifteen clones charged.

"…everyone got that?" Naruto finished.

"Yeah" Sasuke replied, Sakura nodding.

"Good, now remember; don't hit any of my guys okay?"

"Yeah, I know. But… what about you?"

Naruto just chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" as he finished, Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes widened as something… strange happened to their teammate.

They could feel something happening. A strange… force wrapping around him what looked like a dark orange cloud. It was hardly visible through the mist, but they could just make it out. What they didn't see, was another change was happening to Naruto. His hair was growing wilder, shaggier. His fingernails elongated into claws, and his whisker marks widened into dark scars across his cheeks. And his eyes… were now a bright crimson, with a black slit.

"Here they come" he spoke in a tone that felt… deeper, darker than the one he had before.

"_Jester, is the welcome mat set?"_

"_Primed and ready sir!"_

"_Okay. Roll out the welcome mat on my mark."_

As the water clones ran onto the shore, Naruto suddenly began going through handsigns.

"_3…"_

The clones got closer.

"_2…"_

Closer still

"_1…"_

Naruto finished the handsigns and slammed his palm onto the ground.

"_MARK!"_

Right as the clones were no more than twenty feet away, hundreds of massive swords shot out of the ground, each blade at least five feet wide and over twenty feet long. Hundreds shot up all around them, forming a literal forest of steel… and making mince-meat of the water clones.

"What the…?" Zabuza stammered from where he stood from out on the water. "What the hell was that?"

Inside the water dome, Kakashi was less shocked, though only because he had come to expect this kind of thing from his student, though he'd wager it had something to do with Kage Bunshin.

But before either jounin could say any more, five figures shot out from between the swords in a delta formation.

Out in the lead was Fordo, behind him to his right was a smirking Rosso. To her left was Nero. Behind him was Auel, and to her right was Virgil.

But right as the five S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s shot out over the water, the swords vanished in a massive cloud of smoke, revealing a fuma shuriken flying out at him.

"Tch. You think that'll work on me?!" Zabuza yelled as he brought his free hand around to catch the projectile.

But his success didn't last long as he suddenly noticed a second shuriken coming right down the trail of the first.

'_Damn! They threw two of those in quick succession. Sneaky bastards'_

But right as it looked like he'd have no choice but to release Kakashi, he did something incredible.

He leapt _over_ the incoming shuriken.

"Heh, not bad kiddies, but you'll have to do better than that"

"How's this then?!" Zabuza's eyes widened as he heard that familiar voice along with a poof of smoke. Turing around, he saw that the flying projectile had been replaced by a smirking blonde. With a quick motion, Naruto brought out a sealing scroll, pulling his own fuma shuriken and throwing it at Zabuza. On the shore, Sakura was already hurling her fuma shuriken, Naruto having thrown the first, and Sasuke having thrown Naruto.

Both weapons were rushing towards each other on a collision course. The apex of that course being Zabuza.

Now Zabuza was really sweating, especially now that he noticed that the five clones had each thrown a stream of kunai and shuriken from five different directions.

'_Dammit! And Suijinheki only works in one direction! I can't block all of them!'_

So with that, right as the barrage of weapons was about to hit, Zabuza leapt away.

"You damn brat!!" he yelled, enraged at being made such a fool of, the kiri-nin spun the shuriken in his hand, and made to throw it at Naruto who had just landed on the water…

…only for his hand to be blocked by an armored, fingerless glove.

"Don't forget," Kakashi spoke in a low voice, his hair and clothes dripping wet, but the burning fire in his eyes no less bright, "he's not your _only _opponent"

Zabuza scowled under the bandages, even more enraged, as he gripped the hilt of his sword, trying to draw it so he could cut this bastard apart.

But he was cut off as his ears picked up the light splashing signifying running on water.

Jumping into the air, he barely avoided Nero's and Auel's quick strikes with their katanas and staff (respectively).

Drawing his sword in mid-air, Zabuza threw the shuriken, aiming to hit at least one of those bastards.

But in mid-flight, the weapon was intercepted by a grayish flash, and batted away by Virgil's zanbatou.

Zabuza didn't even have time to register this as he was forced to suddenly deflect a hail of strikes from Naruto, Fordo, and Rosso simultaneously, the former of which he noticed, seemed to looked a lot more… demonic then before.

'_Ugh… Just what are these guys?!'_

Knocked away, Zabuza landed on the water a distance away. Naruto, Fordo and Rosso all landed in front of the others.

"I figured someone like you would know this," Naruto smirked, an expression that made him look like a feral predator more than anything else, "underestimation… is fatal"

With that he made a swiping motion at Zabuza with the sword in his right hand, sending out a massive shockwave across the wave, as powerful as a mid-level Daitoppa.

Acting quickly, Zabuza brought his zanbatou up as a guard as the blast connected with him. The shockwave didn't do any real damage, but it knocked him back a few feet.

And with that, Naruto and his clones struck.

The six of them shot across the water at Zabuza using high-level chakra-control to skate across the water like they were on ice.

Auel and Virgil were up in front, aiming to impale the nuke-nin. The jounin was ready though, a knocked them aside with his zanbatou.

And right as he did, Rosso and Fordo were on him from the sides.

But with a quick motion, Zabuza spun on the water himself, spinning his sword around to knock them away. Were it not for their weapons, the two clones would have been sliced in half.

'_Heh… I need to stop holding back… If I don't, I might end up dead'_

After all, he didn't get his title as one of the greatest swordsmen the world had ever seen for nothing.

He was broken from his musings as his old instincts alerted him to danger, right as Naruto and Nero came down on him with their swords, slicing Zabuza to ribbons… only for his body to melt to water again.

Naruto scowled, before shooting away as Zabuza's sword came down on the spot he just occupied. But the jounin was persistent, chasing him across the water's surface.

'_Damn, he knows that if he takes me out, Fordo and the others go too'_

But then again… yeah that would work.

As another lateral cross-cut came at him, Naruto ducked under the swing, driving his swords into Zabuza's chest.

And just as before, his body fell into water.

"Got you now brat!" Zabuza yelled as he came down on the blonde with a downward strike with his sword.

Spinning around, Naruto brought his swords up in a V-cross to block, something that they both know he didn't have the strength to do, even in demon form.

But right as the strike landed, Naruto cut the chakra flow to his feet. And instead of being cut in half, Naruto was just pushed underwater.

'_Damn, he's quick on the draw there'_

Zabuza didn't have any time to muse though, as six massive fireballs came at him from all directions, courtesy of Kakashi and the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s.

His instincts kicking in, the jounin leapt out of the way, only to be met with a hail of kunai, shuriken, and even arrows from the trees.

'_What the hell?!'_ but he didn't have time to think as he ran through handseals.

"Fuuton: Daitoppa!" he called as he let loose a blast of wind, deflecting the projectiles.

"_Forge! Move in!"_

"_YES SIR!!"_

As Zabuza landed, his eyes really widened as dozens of clones (at least thirty) wielding various weapons leapt from the trees, running along the water right at him.

'_Just how many clones does this kid have?!'_

Naruto smirked as he broke the surface, using his control to induce a buoyancy–like effect from his feet to raise him onto the surface next to Kakashi, who he could tell was panting a little.

"What's wrong, you shouldn't be tired after one Goukakyuu"

Kakashi grimaced. "He did something to me in that water prison. It drained a whole lot of my chakra… I think it's some variant of that jutsu. That, and my Sharingan drains a lot of my chakra, especially since I haven't used it in a while"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm disappointed. For a former ANBU captain, you sure have let yourself get soft"

Kakashi just chuckled humorously. He never thought he'd ever be lectured by a _genin_.

"But I suppose it can't be helped. Can you still fight?"

"Of course, I just can't use any chakra-heavy jutsus"

"Good" Naruto replied as he redrew his Scimitars, "I have an idea of how we can end this quickly"

"_Jester, I need a Code Tarvos Tertiary Support Strike ASAP, Level 5" _

"_Sir? You sure about that?"_

"_Can you do it Jester?"_

"…_It's done sir. Just give us a few minutes" _

"Alright then," Naruto spoke aloud again, "Let's go" with that he shot across the water again.

"Right behind you" Kakashi replied as he followed, running alongside his charge into the melee.

* * *

This… was insane.

'_Damn, I haven't been in a fight this good since the war!'_ was all Zabuza could think to himself as he cleaved through one of Naruto's clones.

His original plan however, had quickly gone down the drain. He had planned on draining Kakashi's chakra with his customized water prison technique, than the jounin would be easy prey. But he hadn't counted on this genin of his. This blonde kid seemed to have an entire army of clones at his beck and call, and though Kakashi had certainly been weakened to the point where he could have taken the former ANBU, the blonde brat and his clones were doing a fine job at evening the playing field.

Kakashi would land a few blows on him, then retreat while Naruto and his clones would run interference on Zabuza, preventing him from using any of his more powerful jutsu that required a longer string of handsigns.

To add to that fact, Talon's and Casper's platoons had taken up position on the shore, and would occasionally fire off a volley of weapons. That, and Sasuke was running along the shore line, firing off fireballs or kunai whenever he could.

The result: Zabuza was quickly being pushed into a corner.

'_I need to get some distance between these guys!'_

With that thought, Zabuza used a massive chakra enhanced jump to get out of the middle of melee, landing almost halfway across the lake, running through handsigns as he did. But as he finished, he noticed something. Kakashi hands were in the same seal.

"Suiton! Suiryuudan no jutsu!"

As both men yelled at the same time, twin dragons made of water rose from the water behind them, shooting at each other with the might of a waterfall. As they collided midway, it created a deluge of water.

Breaking his concentration on the jutsu, Zabuza leapt to the side, running through a different set of handsigns, smirking as he noticed that although Kakashi was mimicking him, he was behind him by at least two seals.

'_Got you now you damn monkey!'_

"Suiton: Daibak-" he was cut off as he was forced to dodge an incoming fireball. On the shore, stood a panting Sasuke.

'_That's it. I can't do any more. I guess it's up to you then, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto'_

Meanwhile, Kakashi was grimacing. They couldn't keep this up forever.

"Naruto, we need to end this quickly. I can only do one more high-level jutsu before I'm out of chakra. If I can hit him with that jutsu I just got from him, that should do it"

The blonde nodded, then closed his eyes in thought.

"_Jester, is our little present ready?"_

"_Yes sir!"_

"_Good. Okay, all forces, prepare for shockwave! Clear the area around Zabuza!"_

"_Yes sir!"_

"Kakashi-sensei,"

"Huh?"

"When I say so… jump as fast and as high as you can"

"Wha…?"

"Just do it, if you don't want to die."

The jounin's eyes widened at this, but just nodded. Whatever Naruto was planning… it had to be big.

"Okay."

"Good." _"Alright then Jester. Launch Alkaline Bomb on my mark! 3… 2… 1… MARK!"_

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then… the rustling of leaves brought everyone's attention as three clones shot out of the trees, high into the air over the water. Each clone was obviously one of Naruto's, but the odd thing about them was what was in their hands. Each held three kunai in each of their hands. The knives were large, probably three times longer and wider than normal kunai, but apart from that, Kakashi could see nothing special about them, not even an exploding tag on the hilts.

As the trio reached the peak of their flight, they brought the knives up, and hurled them at Zabuza. The way they did so intrigued Kakashi. The way they carried the kunai, how they seemed to be expending a great amount of effort to lift them, spoke that the weapons were probably far heavier then they looked. Why though, Kakashi couldn't tell.

In the middle of the water, Zabuza had noticed this too. He couldn't think of why the kunai were heavier, but he did know that if those things hit him, they would most likely do far more damage than normal throwing knives.

But the knives' weight also meant that the clones weren't able to throw them accurately, meaning that he was easily able to dance around the weapons, leaving them to hit the water harmlessly around him.

"Hah! Nice aim kid!" he yelled sarcastically to Naruto, "That the best you got?"

"We weren't aiming at _you_" Naruto spoke in an even tone, a wicked smirk on his face.

"Huh?"

"Tell me Zabuza… what do you think happens when water interacts with oh say… 900 kilos of Rubidium?"

"Eh?" Zabuza spoke trying to think of what the kid meant. He knew that word from somewhere… he wracked his head as he tried to recall the chemistry course he had taken a few years back.

On the shore, Sakura was also wondering what Naruto had meant.

'_Wait… isn't Rubidium an… Ohhh Crap…'_ she thought as her eyes widened in an odd combination of fear and anticipation.

"Kakashi, jump" Naruto said, right as he dropped into a crouch, and then proceeded along with his clones to shoot right off of the water with a massive blast of chakra from his feet. The masked jounin was right behind him, an expression similar to Sakura's on his face.

Meanwhile, Zabuza had just noticed the bubbles rising to the surface under him. Then he remembered.

'_OH SHI-'_

That was when all hell broke loose.

In a display probably never seen in shinobi history, the entire cove seemed to _lift_ out of its earthly resting place, before exploding outward and upward in a massive deluge of water that even the Nidaime Hokage would have gawked at. The pillar of water shot up almost a thousand feet, and was probably seen from clear across Wave Country. And if it wasn't seen, it was most certainly _felt_ thanks to the incredible shock wave sent out by the blast.

And then there was the massive wave it had made. The blast had created a massive wave, at least fifty feet high, shooting outward from the epicenter had inundated the land around it by probably at least a mile. Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna were only saved by the fact that Cody, Talon and several other members of Sigma Company and the remnants of Theta Company had taken the time to take them up as well.

Kakashi could honestly say that, for the first time in over ten years, he was _gaping_. He had seriously seen some weird stuff in his time, as many ninja had. Toads, Snakes and Slugs the size of small towns devastating enemy troops, an army of wooden puppets at the command of only a dozen people, a man (his own sensei too) literally _teleporting_ around a battlefield while wiping out every enemy on it, and of course a giant fox that dwarfed even the Hokage monument on a rampage… but this? An explosion that generated 50-foot waves, created by a massive quantity of _alkali metals_? That did it, he had officially seen everything. Where did Naruto even _get_ that much Rubidium? That, and he was wondering if it would be appropriate to add 'Tsunami' to Naruto's list of weapons.

"Shadow Clones" Naruto spoke from slightly above Kakashi, "I found out a few weeks ago that I can make my chakra replicate the properties of some elements, provided we have a sample to work off of." Though his voice held the same apathetic disinterest it normally held, Kakashi could tell that he was grinning madly, "So far, we're not as far into the Periodic Table as we'd like. I really would've wanted to use Cesium for this, of maybe even Francium, then maybe we could have given him radiation poisoning too…"

Kakashi decided not to think too much into what he just heard… and hope that Naruto would find something else to occupy his free time. He seriously doubted Konoha needed him coming up with Weapons of Mass Destruction as a _hobby_.

"By the way… shouldn't you be hitting Zabuza right now?"

"Oh right" Kakashi spoke, suddenly remembering that they were in a battle… though he was wondering whether or not Zabuza had even survived that explosion.

But his questions were answered as he saw Zabuza's flailing body, beaten but still very much alive, within the pillar of water as it, and they, began to fall back towards the ground.

"Right then" he spoke as he made the hand seals, "Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu!"

On que, massive amounts of the displaced water around them swirled around Kakashi, forming a massive ball of water in front of him. Normally, the Daibakufu drew water from the nearest source, meaning that its power was limited by how far away you were from a water source. But since they were literally _surrounded_ by water, that was in free-fall no less, it meant that the jutsu was literally as powerful as it could possibly be.

Meanwhile, Zabuza had noticed what Kakashi was doing as they fell, and could do nothing but stare. There was no way to change his falling, or move. He was helpless.

"Take this!" Kakashi yelled as he let loose the jutsu, shooting a lateral blast of water at Zabuza.

The nuke-nin could do naught but bring his arms up in a futile attempt to block as the blast of water hit him. The jutsu carried him down to the ground gouging a trench in the shore as the water existing there flowed back with great speed to its original resting place. Zabuza himself was knocked about like ragdoll in a dryer until being slammed into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

Naruto, Kakashi, and the others landed gracefully, if a little hard, back on the water, close the Zabuza's position. Cody, Talon, along with what was left of Theta company along with the latter's platoon landed with Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna near them as well.

"Sensei! Are you okay?"

Kakashi and Naruto slowly walked on shore, the former panting heavily while the latter was too to a lesser extent, his demon form having already been deactivated.

"Yeah… I'm okay"

When Sakura looked to Naruto, all he did was give her a grin, "Told ya' it'd work. Good job out there too"

Sakura just nodded, Sasuke mimicking her actions. Both had to admit, their opinion of the blonde… had just been raised several notches.

A low sighing noise followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground drew their attention to see their sensei laying face-down in the wet grass.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto, Fordo, Forge and Cody were immediately gathered around him, trying to get a good assessment of his condition.

"You think he's dead?"

"Dunno. Try kicking him"

WHAM!

Kakashi let out a low groan of pain as his body curled up into the fetal position.

"Yep, he's alive. Just chakra exhaustion"

His teammates' sweatdropped as they watched. Normally, they might have been shocked but honestly… they had come to expect this kind of thing from Naruto. And though the blonde seemed to hold Kakashi in far higher regard then them, the jounin was in no way exempt from Naruto's twisted sense of humor.

Though Sasuke had to admit, as he held back a chuckle, his jokes were funny… so long as they weren't directed at _you_.

"Uhh…" another low, pained groan got their attention as they looked to see Zabuza, still unconscious against the tree. Injured, though still very much alive.

"Fordo" Naruto spoke, his voice serious.

"Right" the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. replied, moving towards the jounin as he drew his nodachi, preparing to decapitate the man.

But their worries seemed to be for naught as several senbon needles suddenly from out of the trees, striking Zabuza in the neck.

The man's eyes shot open, like he was trying to scream in pain, before the closed again, and he slumped over.

"Wha…?" Sakura tried to say, Sasuke and Tazuna wearing similar looks of surprise. Some of Naruto's clones looked surprised too, but Naruto simply looked up to the tree where the needles had come from, the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s mimicking his action, to see the masked figure standing there.

"Hey… isn't that…?" Forge started.

"Yep. A Kiri Hunter-nin" Naruto spoke, his voice neutral but with an underlying tone of… disappointment?

"Finally" the masked shinobi spoke in an obviously female tone as she dropped to the ground next to Zabuza, "I've been tracking him for several weeks now" she continued, now facing Naruto and co.

"I thank you for your… um…" she trailed off, as if not sure what to say, or another thought was biting at her, "Okay, I have to know something. How the _hell_ did you make 900 kilos of rubidium into those kunai?" she digressed, her professional tone dropping with it.

Sasuke and Sakura just rolled their eyes, while Naruto and his clones just smirked.

"You interested in it?" he said, the cocky smirk on his face.

"Maybe…" the kunoichi replied in a tone that told Naruto she was _definitely_ smirking back under that mask.

"Heh. Sorry. Trade secret" the blonde replied.

The girl sighed in disappointment, making Sasuke want to palm her face in exasperation.

'_Great. We've got another nut'_

"Anyway," the hunter-nin continued, her professional tone returning somewhat, "Thank you all for subduing him. The Mizukage has wanted his head for a while now"

"Wait, so you can just swoop in and take it? Hey, we did all the work!" Naruto spoke up, obviously angry.

"Hey Naruto, she killed him. What does it matter? I didn't think you were the type to care about bragging rights" Sakura said, trying to figure out what made her teammate so upset.

"Are you kidding? Who cares about bragging rights? Do you know how much that guy's head is worth?! The latest Bingo Book has his bounty at a quarter million ryo! That guy's head is fricking gold!"

Sakura's eyes widened, the shock of how much money that was being the only thing keeping her from sweatdropping. Wanting Zabuza's head for monetary gain. That sounded more like the Naruto they knew.

Behind them, the masked girl just chuckled. "Hey, don't worry. We have a policy of compensating anyone who helps us bag a target. And you are right; you all did do almost all the work. So I can assure you we'll be sending you a healthy compensation for your help."

This got Naruto's attention.

"How much can we expect?" he asked, his arms crossed as he turned back to the kunoichi.

"Well, the compensation is determined by the agent that did the kill, meaning me, so I guess you all earned about the whole bounty, maybe a thousand or so less."

Naruto just shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I'm cool with that. But uh… you think you could leave the sword?" he asked, his tone turning hopeful.

"Sorry. The sword is technically ours after all"

"Damn it. Oh well" Naruto replied, slumping in disappointment. Oddly enough, Virgil mimicked the action.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," the masked girl said as she hefted Zabuza's body onto her shoulder, having a slight amount of trouble with its weight, "I need to get this to one of my bounty offices"

"Hunter-san! Wait a second!" Naruto called.

The girl paused, looking back to Naruto in curiosity at what he wanted.

But as she did, Naruto deftly hurled a kunai at her. The knife flew at her, before it detonated in a massive explosion.

Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna looked on in shock. Naruto was only grimacing, an action mirrored by his clones. As the flames died, revealing only a small crater, and no sign of bodies, his expression hardened into one of anger and frustration.

"_Serena! Casper! Cover all possible escape vectors! All forces, scan the whole area! Your people too Forge! I want those two found! Is that clear?!"_

"_SIR YES SIR!"_

With that mental command, almost all the clones around them shot off into the trees at high speed.

"She's a good actor, I'll give her that much"

* * *

Man, I sure do love cliffhangers don't I?

Hope the battle was satisfying enough. I tried to put a lot of thought into it.

To anyone thinking that the 'Alkaline Bomb' seemed a bit over powered, Well, on Mythbusters, they have dropped about five kilos of sodium in a bathtub, and that made a blast that almost destroyed the tub. So imagine 18 times that amount of something that's even _more_ reactive. I'm not saying I was a 100 percent accurate, but we know it would have been _big_.

On a related subject, Jester and his clones have super-high chakra control and a reserve of specialized youki. That's why they can create chakra that mimics the properties of different elements.

And I know that I'm letting off on the Sasuke-Sakura bashing, but really, that's not really my thing. I usually don't like to senselessly bash a character unless I'm trying to be funny (don't worry, there'll be a lot more of that). To tell you the truth, I'm rather neutral to Sasuke and Sakura, so they will be acting more like teammates to Naruto now, and vice-versa, much like in canon. Now, that's not to mean they won't turn evil/die/do something that all you haters will like at some later date. I'm just trying to create some believable characters here.

And a lot of people have been asking me to make this NaruHinaHaku, so sorry, but I can't. Harems just aren't my thing. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I've never been able to write one (and I have tried to brainstorm this). That, and doing that kinda screws up part of the story. Now, that won't mean that they won't be friends (provided I let her live. Muhahahaha)

To those wondering about what Naruto did with the giant swords, that was just a bunch of clones that Jester's team sent underground around them. When the water clones got close, they all did combination henges to change into giant swords.

And the reason Fordo and the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s can bleed is because they have the sturdiness of an actual body. Naruto spent so much time and effort into creating them that they have the composition and make-up of an actual human body.

On a final note, I know that plenty of you are wondering what Fordo and the other S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s look like, so I'm posting a description. I'm also putting it on my profile. I'll try to update it some time to include the rest of the K.B.s

Clone Bios (Reaper squad)

Overview: Reaper Squad is the title of the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. squad ranked as the most powerful of the group. Like all S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s, they possess the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. emblem, a silver crest resembling the silhouette of a bird in flight with several prongs emerging from it (for a comparison, it's the Black Knight's symbol from Code Geass), emblazoned somewhere on their armor/clothing and tattooed somewhere on their body.

Fordo

Rank: Captain

Gender: Male

Hair: Silver with spikes similar to Naruto

Eyes: Blue (slitted)

Primary Weapon: Nodachi

Clothing: Combat pants/boots, armored vest, vambracers, pauldrons, fingerless gloves, black hooded cloak

Emblem Location: Back of cloak, and tattoo on the front of the neck

Demonic Features: Elongated Ears (youki feature)

Personality: Fordo is silent, cunning and overall, efficient. He believes that everything is either an asset or a hindrance. He thinks very lowly of anything that he believes will not prove an asset to himself or the team, and believes such things or persons to be mere trash. He is usually monotonous and exercises complete control over his emotions, hardly ever cracking so much as a smile. However, he does have penchant for battle, cracking a rare smile of satisfaction when he faces a strong opponent. Nevertheless, he is fiercely loyal to Naruto and other clones, especially his own squad. In fact, Naruto and his fellow clones may be the only people he even trusts. He is quite easily the most powerful clone Naruto has ever created, possessing an incredible 90 percent of the original's strength and power. A mark of that power is the fact that he has the least demonic features of all the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s, having only elongated ears and slitted eyes.

Known characters with comparable personalities: Ulquiorra (Bleach), Thel' Vadum (aka 'The Arbiter') (Halo)

Rosso

Rank: First Lieutenant

Gender: Female

Hair: Long, dark red hair that travels down to just above the waist. Has a few streaks of dark orange

Eyes: Green (slitted)

Primary Weapon: Duel Bladed katana

Clothing: More form-fitting ANBU uniform with crimson highlights. Also wears a short black cape.

Emblem Location: On shoulder armor, tattoo on left breast (covered by clothing (usually))

Demonic features: Elongated Ears and enlarged canines

Personality: Rosso is Fordo's second in command, and probably the person he trusts most other than Naruto. She can be easily described as bloodthirsty, having the greatest battlelust of any of Fordo's squad. During lull periods, she is usually grimly humorous, and also makes jokes and jabs at enemies and comrades alike. She has a habit of licking the side of her sword whenever she is very interested in a battle. She enjoys toying with her enemies, making them feel as much fear and despair as possible before cutting them down. However, Fordo has some amount of control over her as well. She is most loyal to him other then Naruto himself, and turns deadly serious whenever he requires it.

Known characters with comparable personalities: Soi Fon (Bleach), Rosso the Crimson (FF7 DoC), Halibel (also Bleach) (something of a middle-point between these characters), C.C. (Code Geass)

Nero

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Gender: Male

Hair: mid-length black hair held back by a plain black head band

Eyes: Onyx (slitted)

Primary Weapon: Duel Katanas

Clothing: ANBU attire with an olive-green color

Emblem Location: Top of left-hand vambracer, tattoo located on the back of the neck

Demonic Features: Elongated Ears, enlarged canines, claws

Personality: Despite being even more demonic looking then Rosso, Nero is the more laid back member of Delta squad. He prefers not to fight if he can help it, though he will if ordered.

Characters with comparable personalities: L (Death Note), Stark (Bleach), Shinji Hirako (Bleach)

Auel

Rank: Third Seat

Gender: Female

Hair: Light blue, falling down to the center of the back

Eyes: Green (slitted)

Primary Weapon: Staff

Clothing: Cut-down ANBU armor combined with a loose fitting robe (similar to the robes worn by the Espada (Bleach))

Emblem Location: Left shoulder pad, Back of the neck

Demonic Features: Elongated ears, enlarged canines, claws, enlarged whisker marks (partial)

Personality: Auel is the free-spirited member of Delta squad, constantly teasing not only her enemies, but even her teammates. She is close friends with Casper and Talon from Sigma company.

Virgil

Rank: Forth Seat

Gender: Male

Hair: Close-cropped silver hair

Eyes: Gray (slitted)

Primary Weapon: Zanbatou

Clothing: Light samurai-styled armor combined with ANBU armor.

Emblem Location: Breastplate over the heart, left palm.

Demonic Features: Elongated ears, enlarged canines, claws, enlarged whisker marks (full)

Hope this answers some questions.

Read and Review people!


	14. Author's Note

Yeah sorry, not a new chapter (I'm not _that_ fast people). Anyway, on to business.

First of all, a few people have been asking me about clone pairings. It certainly is an idea that I've been tossing around for a while, but what do you think? Should I? If I do, all clone pairings will be clone/clone. No exceptions (something that I'll explain later on in-story).

Second of all, its pretty apparent from my poll that unless a whole lot of Haku-haters suddenly start reading my story, it looks like Haku is going to live. So, should I pair her with someone, and if so, who?

And finally, does anyone know of a good Latin translation site? Especially one that can translate phrases? All the ones that I've found have only been able to do single words. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

And I'll try to get chapter fourteen up ASAP

Ja ne!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XIV**

**Soldiers. Not Hero's**

* * *

"She's a good actor, I'll give her that" Naruto muttered as his clones shot off in all directions, with the exception of the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.s and the remains of Theta company.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Sakura screamed (justified for once) at the blonde, "That was a Kiri hunter-nin! What the hell were you thinking?!" Next to her, Sasuke seemed to be of a similar opinion.

"Relax," the blonde drawled, turning back towards them, "that was no Hunter-nin"

"Huh?" the pink-haired girl replied, her anger replaced by comic confusion.

"It's standard procedure for Hunter-nins to only take the head of their target, incinerating the rest of the body on sight. You'll notice that she didn't"

"Well… what if she just forgot? Or there was something special about this case?"

"I highly doubt that. When I said its standard procedure, I meant it. All Hunter-nins _must_ destroy their target's body on sight. If one doesn't, then they aren't a Hunter-nin. It's a tactic to prevent any bloodline's from falling into enemy hands"

"So then… who was she then?" Sasuke asked.

"Meh, probably just another missing-nin trying to cash in on Zabuza's bounty. Even if she was the real deal, the fact that she didn't follow procedure gives us the full right to assume that she's the enemy" Naruto replied, a small smirk forming on his face.

This confused Sasuke for a second, then he remembered that Naruto was in this for the cash. He was probably even more happy now since they could probably cash in that other nuke-nin's head too.

"Anyway…" Naruto started, "We should probably get moving, before any more of Gato's lackey's show up"

"You think that girl may have been working for him?" Sasuke asked.

"Not likely, seeing as how she didn't help Zabuza. Considering how she popped in at the end, she's either not interested in us, or she's too weak to be a threat. Either way, she's not an issue. Tazuna-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you carry Kakashi? The rest of us should stay mobile in case anything comes up"

"Sure" the man replied as he hefted the unconscious jounin over his shoulder. He easily had a heavier build then Kakashi, so the added wait didn't seem to encumber him that much.

"Alright then. Let's mosey" Naruto said as he walked off, leading the formation while Cody, Fixer and Shelk had called out the Theta company reserves, considering how much their forces had been shattered in that last battle.

"_Serena, any luck?"_

"_Negative sir. No sign of the target. Judging by the lack of any scent trail, I'd say she used several consecutive shunshins. She could be on the other side of the country by now"_

"_Yeah… and that also means she's probably suffering some major chakra exhaustion. She'll need a while to recover from that, which gives us more time. Extend your search pattern Serena, and be sure to send Talon and his people to check the other side of the country. Chances are, she's probably there now"_

"_Understood sir…" _

"_Something wrong?"_

"_I don't know… Something about this just doesn't make sense…"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well… why would she take his whole body? It's not like Zabuza had a bloodline or something. She could have just taken his head. It doesn't seemed like something to risk getting found out over"_

"_You've got a point there… Well, all the more reason to find her then"_

"_Yes sir! Serena out" _

* * *

"Nice place" Naruto said with mild sarcasm as they finally came upon Tazuna's large, though obviously well-weathered, two-story home.

"Tsunami! I'm home!" Tazuna yelled heartily as he opened the door, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Fordo and Cody behind him.

"_Everyone else, establish a parameter. Make note of all points of entry"_

"_Yes sir"_

"Dad!" came a voice from what Naruto assumed was the kitchen, followed by a young woman with long, dark hair probably a few years Kakashi's junior, a large smile on her face. "you're back!"

Tazuna smiled warmly. "Yes, all is well now. These are the super ninja that I hired! I told them everything, and they are still willing to complete the mission!"

The woman, apparently Tazuna's daughter, smiled at Naruto and his teammates and bowed. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, I don't know what we would have done."

"Yeah, it's no problem. I'm Sakura Haruno" said girl spoke up.

"Sasuke Uchiha"

"Naruto Uzumaki" the blonde spoke, before gesturing to his clones, "These are my friends Fordo (Hey), and Cody (Hi). And the lazy bum your dad is carrying is our sensei, Kakashi"

"Oh" the young woman replied, put off slightly by Naruto's statement and finally noticing the unconscious man slung over her father's shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. And thank you all for helping us. Um… is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Just exhaustion that's all. He should be back up in about…" Naruto paused as he looked at his watch, "…three hours"

"And, what if he isn't?"

"Well…" Naruto trailed off as he tapped his chin, looking upward in a thoughtful expression, an expression Sasuke and Sakura had come to fear from the blonde, "You wouldn't happen to have a large frying pan I could borrow, would you?"

* * *

Naruto frowned as he checked his watch, then looked to Kakashi's sleeping form.

"Well, that's four hours, plus fifteen minutes of grace… and he's still not up"

With that, he clapped his hands in affirmation.

"Right then, grab his legs. Sasuke, get his other arm" With that, Fordo and Cody nodded and got a firm grip on his legs. Sasuke got his left arm, while Naruto himself grabbed the right. Between the four of them, it was pretty easy lifting the jounin.

"Alright. To the dock!" Naruto spoke in a faux-dramatic tone as he began leading them out the bedroom door, and past a giggling Sakura who then followed them. Sasuke himself was grinning while Naruto and his clones were merely smirking.

Tazuna and Tsunami both raised eyebrows as they passed them. Naruto had been kind enough to tell them about his plan, but they still did find it a little odd, though they would admit it was kind of funny. Sakura and Sasuke on the other hand, would be finding it _extremely_ funny.

Waiting for Sakura to get the back door, the two genin and two clones proceeded out onto the dock jutting out into the lake behind the house.

The four of them stopped at the end of the dock, turning so that Kakashi's body was parallel with the end of the dock.

"Okay then. On three!" Naruto said as they began to swing the unconscious jounin.

"One!"

Sakura's giggling had increased.

"Two!"

Sasuke was grinning like a madman.

"THREE!"

On the third swing, they released Kakashi, sending the unconscious jounin flying out into the water with a rather large splash.

His body floated there for a second, before he started flailing madly.

"'ppbbt'… WHAT THE HELL?!" the jounin yelled in indignation as he spat the water out of his mouth through his mask, and finding his students on the dock, showing various signs of amusement at his plight. And the clones of one of his students were having very similar reactions.

"Hey, rest time for chakra exhaustion is four hours," Naruto said amidst his chuckling as Kakashi swam towards the dock, a scowl evident on the latter's face. "And we needed you up as soon as possible"

"Yeah, but maybe you could have woken me up in a way OTHER THEN THROWING ME IN A LAKE?!"

"Hey, it was either that, or hit you with a frying pan"

"Yeah… well…" Kakashi stuttered as he grabbed onto the side of the dock, trying to counter Naruto's blunt, if somewhat pointless, logic, "What if I hadn't woken up? I could've drowned!"

"Well, if you weren't moving, we would've fished you out of the water fast enough. And Tazuna's daughter knows CPR, so you would've been fine" Naruto replied, motioning towards the young woman and her father standing at the end of the dock, both chuckling at the man's plight. Kakashi looked mid-motion as he pulled himself onto the dock.

Upon seeing the girl, who in all rights, was _very_ attractive, Kakashi relented, as well as briefly mused on what it would have been like had he stayed unconscious…

'_Okay… must not ogle client's hot daughter. Bad for business'_

He quickly banished those thoughts from his head as he got to his feet…

…and promptly fell flat on his face as he felt the searing pain going through his foot and leg, groaning in pain.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto spoke up, as if recalling something, "When we were bringing you in… Tazuna kind of, dropped you… down the stairs… so we think your ankle may be sprained. Sorry" he finished with a sheepish grin.

"I hate you guys"

"Aww. You're welcome" Naruto said with a grin as he and Fordo got under Kakashi's arms, helping him down the dock into the house.

* * *

"So, Zabuza was killed by another nuke-nin posing as a hunter-nin eh?" Kakashi spoke from the bed Tsunami had lent him, Naruto having just recapped the events following his loss of consciousness.

"Pretty much" Naruto drawled, the disappointed look on his face.

"Tell me about this fake hunter-nin. Anything special about her?"

"Other than that she's good at hiding, not much. Unless she's left the country entirely, I'd put her stealth skill well above jounin level, because Sigma company's had no luck finding her whatsoever"

"I see…" Kakashi replied, "And I agree with your other theory. It's doubtful she's working with Gato, considering how much she was concentrating on hiding. And considering how she didn't engage us afterwards, she's probably not too powerful either"

"Yeah… but there's still something bothering me…" Naruto said, his face set in a contemplative look.

"What?"

"If she was after the bounty, then why did she take his whole body? She could have just taken his head, and kept up her disguise to boot. The only thing that tipped me off was that she didn't take his head. It's not like Zabuza had any bloodlines or anything that she'd need his body for."

"Good point…" Kakashi spoke, before his eyes widened slightly, "Wait… just how did she kill Zabuza?"

"Senbon needles. Through the neck" Naruto replied, "You don't think…" his eyes widened as he realized what his sensei was thinking.

"A temporarily induced death state, brought on by pressure points" Kakashi answered.

"So that means…" Sasuke spoke, remembering his academy lessons on pressure points, the things they could do to the human body.

"Hey, what are you all blabbering about? That guy's dead. We saw those needles go straight through his neck" Tazuna said, not getting what they were saying, "Nobody could survive something that bad"

"I have" Naruto spoke in a low whisper.

"The human body has several pressure points at many places" Kakashi spoke in a slightly louder voice, trying to lead the conversation away from more… dangerous waters. "The pressure points in the neck can produce near-death like states. His pulse would stop, but he could be revived later"

"So… your saying that…" Tsunami spoke slowly, her eyes wide.

"Yeah. Zabuza's still alive, and that girl was working with him"

Silence reigned in the room, as everyone digested this new, disturbing information.

"Well" Naruto spoke, a humorless smile on his face, "that makes things a bit harder now doesn't it?"

"_Serena, Talon, Casper, expand your search radius. We need to find those two ASAP"_

"_Yes sir"_

* * *

On an island on the very fringes of Wave country, next to a small, unassuming cottage, a masked girl flickered into existence, a large man slung over her shoulder. The girl was panting heavily as she set him down.

Pulling out a set of medical tools, the girl looked to his prone body.

'_Alright, first I'll have to cut the bandages away from his face'_ the girl thought to herself as she brought a pair of surgical scissors to the man's head… only for a hand to grip her wrist.

"_I'll_ take care of that, thank you very much!" Zabuza growled as he pulled the bandages off.

The girl gave a soft grin under her mask. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Zabuza"

The jounin didn't pay her any heed as he struggled to sit up, pulling one of the needles from his neck.

"Gah. I hate it when you do that. You're brutal Haku"

"I prefer _efficient_" the girl replied, and even though he couldn't see it, Zabuza knew she was smiling under that mask, "And if you're so blunt with those, you really will go down for good"

"Yeah, whatever" Zabuza replied as he yanked the other needle out of his neck. "You always get them where it hurts most. You actually _enjoy_ seeing me in pain, don't you?"

"More or less" Haku gave a lopsided grin.

Zabuza sighed at his apprentice's antics, "Can you take that mask off already? It's creepy if you ask me"

"Well, this mask does hold some good memories" the girl replied as she removed it, revealing her sweet and innocent face (quite misleading). "And it did help me fool those Konoha shinobi… mostly"

"Oh yeah, what's with the worn-out look. Carrying me all this way shouldn't have been much for you"

Haku's expression fell as she relented. "Yeah, but I couldn't. I had to use about fifteen shunshin, all of them at maximum range at once"

"What? Why?"

"That blonde ninja, Naruto I think his name was, saw through me. I had them fooled up until I tried to take your body. He saw through me the instant I didn't destroy your body. Right as I was leaving, he cut me off with an exploding kunai. I barely got us out of there in time. And then he sent his clones after us. There must have been at least a hundred clone scouring the country, they probably still are. To tell you the truth, I think we got lucky getting here without being followed"

"Did you put up the genjutsu?" Zabuza spoke, his voice serious.

"Yeah. His clones shouldn't find us. At least, I hope not. That kid's not to be underestimated"

"Hm… You do have a point there. We'll have to watch out for him next time" Zabuza replied, "Were you able to figure anything out about him?"

Haku nodded, "His main strength is undoubtedly his clones. With proper planning, I have no doubt they could take on Kage-level opponents with enough numbers and planning. But on his own, I'd put his skill level at roughly high-chunin, low-jounin at best. If we can separate him from his clones, that will put him in a corner"

"Agreed… He's obviously a skilled tactician, so he's probably already analyzed my fighting style. Haku, you take care of him next time. He hasn't had a chance to see you in action so you should be able to keep him on his toes. And… we are _not_ fighting those guys on water again, okay?"

"Oh come on, you know that was cool" Haku replied, a bright grin on her face.

"…That's beside the point"

"Well, putting you in that state will have you out for a while. We shouldn't move against them again for a few days. It should be a week before you're at a hundred percent again"

"Yeah yeah" Zabuza grumbled as he got to his feet…

…and promptly fell flat on his face as the stinging pain from his ankle hit him.

"Oh yeah… when we were running from those shinobi… I kind of um… dropped you. I think your ankle is sprained. Sorry"

"I hate you"

"Awww. I love you too" Haku gave a grin as she helped him into the cabin.

* * *

"Well, a near-death state like that is pretty hard to recover from" Kakashi explained as he walked through the woods outside Tazuna's home, using a crutch to move, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura following behind, "It should be a week before he'll come after us again. Likewise, my ankle should take a similar time to heal too. And I trust Theta company can keep Tazuna safe until then?" he continued, glancing at Naruto, who nodded.

"So until then, you three are going to train" he finished as they entered a large clearing.

Sasuke immediately perked up at this.

"On what?"

"Well, Naruto I'm going to leave your training up to you, but Sasuke, Sakura, we need to work on your tree-climbing"

Sasuke scowled at this. In the past week since Kakashi and Naruto had first shown them the technique, he had hardly made any progress on it, though he would admit that it was because he would stop and go work on something else when it got too hard. He really needed to even out his work ethic. And the impending threat of Zabuza's return might just be the motivation he needed.

"But sensei, I can already do the tree-climbing technique. Why do I need to practice?" Sakura spoke up, recalling how she was able to do it on her first try.

"Correction, you have the _control_ necessary for the technique" Kakashi corrected her. "What you need to work on is your capacity"

Seeing Sakura's confused look, Naruto elaborated.

"Because you're a girl Sakura, you have less chakra, and therefore have greater natural control over it. However, you'll be drained of it more quickly"

"Exactly. Sakura, try running up and down that tree a few times"

Complying, Sakura ran up and down the tree, but was on the ground panting after her third run.

"You see my point now? Anyway, I expect you and Sasuke to have this technique finished by the end of the week. If you finish it before then, I'll teach you both a new jutsu"

Sasuke immediately perked up at this, while Sakura did the same when she realized she'd be spending far more time with Sasuke now.

"Well, have fun" the jounin finished as he shunshined back to the house.

"See you later then" Naruto spoke as he jumped up into the trees, running off to some unknown location.

"Well Sasuke-kun, shall we…" Sakura turned only to find her beloved already attacking the tree with vigor.

'_Well, guess I'll get started too'_

* * *

Dark eyes looked over the wide clearing before its bearer, scanning for any traps.

His target sat cross-legged in the center of the clearing, his eyes closed. Perhaps he had fallen asleep while meditating? His breathing had slowed, and his movement's were non-existent. It was time.

The masked shinobi made the hand-signal. On cue, he, and dozens of his comrades, almost fifty in total, shot from the trees. They hit the ground with hardly a sound, and rushed the blonde from all directions. There was no way he could escape. The masked nin readied his ninjato as he neared the blonde.

15 feet… no change

10 feet… almost their

5 feet… he was finished.

Then… he noticed something, a small, almost imperceptible smirk on the blonde's face.

His eyes widened in fear.

_No… not now!_

He lashed out towards the boy, his blade poised to cleave his head off.

But right before he reached him… the boy's eyes shot open, eyes a bloody crimson, with a black slit. The eyes of a demon…

Then… he vanished.

The other shinobi looked on in shock. They had almost had him! But as they looked to their leader, their eyes widened further… this time in fear.

The man was frozen, the reason evident to all. Running up his body, were five claw marks. They ran with surgical precision, up his chest, slitting his throat, and gouging his eyes out. The man then fell back, choking to death on his own blood.

The sound of rushing air above shook the nin's from their stupor as they looked up to see their target, a demonic grin over his fitting features. He was running through handseals.

Stopping on the tora seal, he took in a deep breath. Some of his attackers were too stupefied by the display to even move. Their smarter comrades rushed to escape, leaping away with chakra-enhanced leaps.

And they did so just in time as the boy let out his breath… and hellfire spewed from his mouth.

The Goukakyuu was about five times larger than normal, and probably eight times hotter, fueled with the boy's youki. As the stream of fire struck the ground, it blasted outward, feeding on the ready air around it. All of the ninja not smart enough to leap away were incinerated almost instantly, and even several of those that had been too slow to leap away were engulfed by the inferno. The survivor's could only look on in fearful awe. More than half of their force had been annihilated in a single attack. Their initial shock turned to desperate fear, and they attacked, loosing kunai and shuriken at the blonde in the air.

But as he saw the incoming barrage, the blonde ninja only smirked wider, and he suddenly vanished again, the weapons spitting nothing but air.

The shinobi looked around frantically, trying to find where he went. The second-in-command desperately tried to formulate a plan. They needed to escape, he was far too powerful. But first they needed to know where he was, lest they run right into him or one of his traps.

'_Where… Where is he?'_

"Right here" those were the last words he heard, before a Scimitar cleaved him from crown to crotch.

His comrades jumped around, desperately trying to hit the blonde demon as he jumped around them, his twin swords taking lives with each swing, cleaving flesh and rending bone. In the span of only a few seconds, the number of survivors had dropped from thirty, to twelve.

The boy's rampage seemed to pause as he landed in the center of a circle of ten of them, seeming to pause to take a breath. Yes… this was their chance… He had over-exerted himself… They could end this now… And with that thought, they leapt at him from all directions.

They hardly even saw him move.

With one quick motion, the orange and black clad ninja spun on one heel. As he did, a massive shockwave shot out from him, a spinning dome of air spreading outward, and right into the onrushing attackers.

Not a single one was left alive.

And with that, in the span of just under a minute, the attack force had been reduced from 75, to two.

Said two ninja took one look at the blonde, before running off in the other direction, a desperate attempt to flee.

That would get no such mercy.

Their eyes widened as a Scimitar pierced each of their throats. From between them, Naruto smirked, and with a flick of his wrists, split their heads in too.

As their bodies fell to the ground, he sheathed his swords in a quick motion, before looking up to the trees to his left.

"Time?"

"One minute on the dot" Forge replied as he dropped to the ground. "A new record" he finished as the corpses around them 'poofed' away as Naruto dispelled the clones.

The training clones were one of the first clone variants Naruto had devised. They didn't have the same intelligence or personality potential as his soldier clones, but they were roughly just as strong as his Alpha class soldier clones. They really weren't that different from normal kage bunshin. This quality didn't make them very useful for combat, but they made excellent training dummies. Unlike normal training dummies, these could move, attack, defend and think on their feet, though their personality had been designed to mimic that of a more normal human being, meaning they didn't have Naruto's vast intellect on their side. He usually used them to simulate battle scenarios to train both himself and his soldier clones. Not only that, but they also made excellent test dummies for new and dangerous jutsu's that could potentially injure the user. Due to this short life-expectancy, Naruto and the others had come to nicknaming any such clone 'Buster'. He wasn't sure, but it just sounded right for some reason.

(far away, in some far-off alternate dimension, a human imitation made of plastic and metal inexplicably sneezes… Right before the overalls he's wearing explode in a massive fireball. Cue manic cackling)

Anyway, I digress.

Looking down at his hand, Naruto watched as his claws reverted back to being fingernails. Demon form was getting easier to control, that much was sure. Using Kyuubi's youki was… amazing to say the least. Feeling the incredible power coursing through his veins… being able to move at near-blinding speed, sensing enemies all around him, and firing off shockwaves that could blow away any genin or even chunin… it all gave him an incredible… euphoric feeling. He could see why many junchuuriki were driven mad with their power. It was… intoxicating.

But then again, that was why he was careful with it. At first, he supposed he might have easily fallen under its spell. But Naruto had foreseen this, and disciplined himself to resist it. Now, the alluring temptation it once had was non-existent. Demon form was a weapon, an incredibly powerful weapon, but a weapon nonetheless. His repeated practice with it had had other benefit's as well. He could now hold the form for longer without negative side-effects, and was better at controlling himself. He still fought like a demon, but not a rabid one like he had when he had first tried practicing with it.

Demon… yeah, he rather liked that moniker. Ironic that so many in Konoha had been calling him that for so long. Well… if they wanted a demon, then he was all too willing to show them one… when the time was right of course.

Now, not only could he move extremely fast and fire off shockwaves, he had enough control to use jutsu. And as he had just found, said jutsu's were extremely powerful. A simple low C-rank jutsu like the Goukakyuu had the destructive power of a high B-rank. It made him wonder what would happen if he started using more high-level techniques…

"Uh, sir?"

"Hmm? Oh, what is it?" Naruto looked to Forge, broken from his inner musings.

"Well, it looks like about time to head in, don't you think?" he said, gesturing to the sun which was now almost touching the horizon.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Let's go." The blonde agreed as he leapt into the trees.

"Yes sir" the clone replied as he followed.

"_Cody, we're coming back in. Any difficulties?"_

"_Sasuke and Sakura just got back and Kakashi's been in bed reading porn all day, so nothing much. Though Tazuna's grandson has been giving us weird looks"_

"_Wait… Tazuna has a grandson?"_

"_Uh… yeah. Didn't you see him?"_

"_No…"_

"_Well… he has a grandson. I think his name's Inari" _

"_Oh…"_

"…"

"…_What were we talking about again?"_

"_Uh… um… Waffles I think" _

"_Mmm. Tasty waffles" _

"_Yes… With lots of syrup"_

"… _Are you hungry too?"_

"_Yeah. I'll talk to Tsunami, I think she's making dinner"_

"_Yay! Food!"_

* * *

Dinner at Tazuna's house was an average affair. Naruto sat with Cody, Forge and Serina (Fordo and his squad preferred to be patrolling the area). Sasuke and Sakura sat across from them, along with Kakashi. The jounin had been careful (much to his students' chagrin) to set up a wall of condiments around his unmasked face, forcing his appearance to remain a mystery.

Tazuna was talking to Sakura, explaining some random things while Tsunami served the food. Overall, nothing odd at all. Though Naruto did notice that Cody had been right about Tazuna's grandson, who was also sitting at the table. The boy, who seemed to be no older than eight or nine, hadn't said a word since he had come down from his room. And he was giving them all odd looks, especially Naruto and his clones. It almost seemed like he was… angry at them, for whatever reason. But to be honest, Naruto really couldn't care less. Who cares if some eight-year old doesn't like them? As long as he didn't interfere with the mission, Naruto couldn't care less about what he thought of them.

"So, how did training go?" Kakashi spoke up, glancing to Sasuke and Sakura, but also sending a look to Naruto.

"Okay, I guess." Sasuke replied. "I think I can get most of the way up the tree now. But that's about it. I can't seem to get any higher" he finished, while sending a brief, obviously envious look at Naruto that read, _'How the hell can you do it so easily?'_

"Well, I guess I'm doing better. I can get up the tree fast enough, and I think my chakra supply is getting bigger" Sakura put in, to be honest, not really sure of her own abilities.

Tazuna and Tsunami looked to Naruto, expecting him to say something, but the blonde was quiet. Sasuke and Sakura were no strangers to this, they had long since known that Naruto kept most of his training to himself. Kakashi though, knew the real reason. He knew that Naruto was training himself to use Kyuubi's youki effectively, and must have been training his 'Demon Form' as he had dubbed it.

"So Sirena, any luck?" Naruto said, looking to the Sigma company commander.

The girl shook her head. "None sir. We scanned the entire country, nothing. Even if they had a genjutsu, we would've run into them by now. My guess is, they're either in Gato's main base, or holed up on one of the outlying islands"

"Well, Gato's base is a definite no-no right now, so how do those islands look?" Forge asked.

"Not much better." The girl replied, "They're outside Gato's blockade, plus he had them pretty well sealed off. Patrol boats on the surface, with search-lights, and steel buoy-nets under water. We're definitely not getting on any of those islands without a fight"

"I see" Naruto stroked his chin in thought, "I'll contact Reaper Squad later tonight. Maybe they can get a closer look" to this, his subordinates nodded.

"What does it matter if you do find him?" Tazuna spoke up, "You'll never get past all of the security Gato had put up"

"Maybe" Naruto replied, "But if we can confirm Zabuza's location, we can launch a full assault to take him out. Mercenaries and ronin aren't much of a match for us"

Tazuna looked shocked at this, "But… he's one of the most powerful men in the world… isn't that out of your jurisdiction?"

"Not at all" Kakashi spoke up, "Gato is an obstacle for the completion of our mission, which is to protect you until the bridge is complete. Konoha law states that shinobi are allowed to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the success of their mission, if the mission is A-rank or higher, which this one is. Gato is an obstacle to our success, and thus we are both obligated and authorized to take him out"

"In fact" Naruto continued, "The only reason we haven't done so already is because we don't know Zabuza's location, and we don't know if he's hired other shinobi. Once we take out Zabuza and his apprentice, Gato's next" he finished, a feral grin spreading across his face. A look mimicked by Forge while Sirena and Cody smirked.

While Tsunami and Tazuna had looks of shock on their face, Sakura was feeling both apprehensive and anticipation at Naruto's statement. Sasuke just felt anticipation. Kakashi looked on with a look of grim pride. Naruto really was turning into a skilled, and efficient, shinobi.

The mood was broken however, as Tazuna's grandson seemed to inexplicably snap. The boy swiped his plate off of the table, standing up with a look of anger on his face at just about everyone.

"You… You're all so… STUPID!!"

And with that, he ran off upstairs, tears evident on his face.

"What's with him?"

Tsunami and Tazuna looked downcast as Forge broached his question.

"He's… been through a lot" Tsunami spoke softly.

"You see that picture on the wall over there?" Tazuna said, pointing to a photograph that was hung on a wall. It showed Inari and Tsunami with a young man, maybe a few years her senior. They all looked cheerful and happy, a stark contrast to now.

"Is that his father?" Naruto asked, some things beginning to make sense to him.

"No… though he might as well have been" Tazuna replied. "Inari's father died at sea, soon after he was born. He never knew him. Kaiza… he was the best of us"

"He was a fisherman, just like most of us here. But… there was something special about him. He helped me raise Inari after his father died. He… he really was Inari's father in all but name. And he might have been even that…" Tsunami continued, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, careful about his words, this was obviously a touchy subject.

"Gato killed him" Tazuna answered. "Kaiza was the first to ever think to oppose him… He was actually trying to rally together a rebellion, and this bridge was his idea too. But Gato found out about it… We all had watch Kaiza executed right in front of us… Nobody was the same afterwards. He was our hope, our hero"

"Hero huh?" Naruto spoke, many thoughts going through his head at that word.

"But… you can help us, can't you?" Tsunami spoke up, "You can save us from Gato right?"

Naruto took this with an incredulous look, before hanging his head, a humorless smirk on his face.

"If you're looking for a hero, I'd suggest looking somewhere else"

"What…?"

"I'm no hero. Just a soldier, doing his job"

"What do you mean?" Tsunami asked, not sure what Naruto meant.

Kakashi meanwhile, had a solemn look on his face. Naruto truly had the shinobi way pegged.

"We are warriors, Tsunami-san. And in war, there are no hero's, only soldiers. I'm sorry, but I'm no hero"

With that, Naruto got up and left the house, his soldiers following behind.

* * *

Okay, there we go.

Hope you enjoyed Naruto's demon form training, and the Mythbusters reference. Expect more.

Also, Haku and Zabuza did touch on Naruto's one major weakness. His clones do allow him to take on enemies far stronger than himself, but without his clones, he's little more than a skilled chunin. That will come into play later on.

Finally, like several other authors, I've felt compelled to come up with a proper selection of music that would fit this story. Here it is for the story so far:

Clone battle theme: Unyielding (Halo 2 OST)

General Clone theme: Spirit of Fire (Halo Wars OST)

Demon Form Training: The Hero (Ninja Gaiden 2 OST)

Naruto's Awakening (Chapter IV): Dark Rise (Corner Stone Cues)

Trapped in the Mist (Chapter XII): Stand of the 93rd (Corner Stone Cues)

Fighting the Demon Bros. (Chapter XI): Just Ad Nauseam (Halo Wars OST)

Clones vs. Kakashi (Chapter II): Tally on Multiple Contacts (Tom's Clancy's H.A.W.X. OST)

The End of Tora (Chapter IX): Enemy Unseen (Bleach OST)

And here is one that I think would make a good OP: Sora-iro Days (Gurren Lagann OP)

Read and Review please!


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Nephilim thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XV**

**The Value of Information**

* * *

Naruto fell to his knees, panting, but not in exhaustion. His eyes were wide with disbelief, and his hands were shaking even as his fingers gripped the grass below him.

All around him, many of his top soldiers; Forge, Serena, Cody, Fordo, Talon, Wedge, Shelk, and others… all of them with the same looks of shock… and disbelief.

"No…" Forge breathed out, desperately trying to find some flaw in what he had just learned.

"It… it can't be…" Serena spoke softly.

Cody and his people were silent… though all of them knew that they were hit the hardest.

"They're… they're dead…" Naruto spoke as he stood, tears threatening to well up in his eyes, "They're all dead"

He grimaced, in anger… in rage… his canines already elongating into fangs, his fingernails into claws.

"God DAMNIT!!" he yelled as he smashed his fist into a tree, making a massive indentation in it.

Birds took to the night sky, startled from their rest, unaware of the sorrow below them.

* * *

Kakashi yawned as he sat down at the table for breakfast, Sasuke (who he knew had been sleeping with one eye open and the door locked) and Sakura joining him. Naruto and his clones were absent however.

"Hey, where're your friends?" Tazuna asked, noticing the absence. "Are they still asleep?"

"I don't know" Kakashi replied, "I never heard him come in last night"

"You think he stayed up all night?" Sakura asked, though in all actuality, she wouldn't be that surprised. She knew from their team sparring matches that Naruto seemed to have nigh-infinite stamina. That, and she had already encountered one of his subordinates earlier that morning.

_Flashback_

* * *

Sakura yawned as she walked out of her room, heading straight for where she remembered the bathroom. She needed a shower.

She hadn't had time to take one last night, she had just been so tired after that training that she just made her way to her room like a mindless zombie and flopped onto the bed. She was pretty sure she had been asleep before she even hit the fabric.

That meant that she needed one as soon as possible. She had to keep up descent hygiene after all.

As she approached the closed door however, it opened, revealing a dark-haired boy making his way out.

Unfortunately for her though, it was not the boy of her dreams. The messy dark-hair and whisker marks were a dead giveaway.

"Hm…? Oh, hey Sakura" the S.T.A.H.K.E.R. greeted with a half-wave as he finished putting on his combat belt and moved for his shirt.

Silently thanking kami that this guy had already been at least half-dressed when he left the room, Sakura tried to think back to the conversation she had heard Naruto have with this guy.

"Um… Nero right?"

"Yeah?"

"Were… you taking a shower in there?"

"Uh… yeah. I was. You find something weird about that?" the clone replied, not seeing her point.

"Well… I thought since you were clones that…"

"Hey, just because we're made of chakra doesn't mean we don't collect just as much dirt and dust as everyone else. Plus we have fully functioning bodies too, so we sweat just as much any normal human." Nero replied in a half-lazy, half-scolding tone as he started putting on the upper-half of his uniform.

"Oh… okay" Sakura replied. She supposed that did make sense. But as she thought about this, she noticed something odd about Nero, specifically something on his arm.

It was a tattoo, but Sakura could immediately tell there was something special about it. It was in a combination of black and white ink, centered around a circle made of two line spiraling around each other. On top of the circle were two sets of lines, both in a delta-shape. One set was larger, with the smaller set inside it. And directly beneath the smaller set, inside the larger set, were the letters XIII.

Inside the circle itself however, was something Sakura found more interesting. Inside it, was the silhouette of a large, black raven with its wings spread. It's eyes were a haunting blood red, and in that same color was the strange symbol she had seen on his and his comrades' uniforms, blazoned on the raven, like a kind of skeleton. And in the raven's claws were two crossed scythes. Finally, below the circle were two lines of words in a strange language that Sakura didn't recognize.

"Um… what is that?" she asked.

"Hm…? Oh this?" Nero replied as he followed her gaze to the markings. "This is our emblem."

"Your… emblem?"

"Yeah. Our symbol, trademark, whatever. It's what identifies us"

"So, all of you have one of those?"

"Nah. It varies on several levels. You see this?" he pointed at the XIII, "This denotes our division. The Special Forces"

Gesturing to the raven, he continued. "This denotes which part of the special forces we belong to. We're S.T.A.H.K.E.R., so our symbol is the Raven. Think of it as our… mascot"

"And these," he pointed to the scythes, "tells which squad we belong to. I'm part of Reaper squad, so our symbol is the Scythe"

"Oh… okay" Sakura replied, more than a little weirded out. Was Naruto really making his own army out of his shadow clones?

She was broken from her thoughts as she remembered the strange words that surrounded the emblem.

"And, what does that mean?"

"Ah, yeah. Every sector, like S.T.A.H.K.E.R. has its own credo. It's motto. Distinguished and experienced members have the honor of having it added to their emblem. The S.T.A.H.K.E.R. credo is; 'alae mortis nominus noster sin. ut flumina vitae domandae noster sint'"

"Huh?" Sakura gave a very confused look. It was definitely another language.

Nero just chuckled. "In the common tongue it reads; 'The Wings of Death shall be Our Name. For the Rivers of Life are Ours to Tame'"

Now Sakura looked a little creeped out. But then again, all things considered, she should have expected this from Naruto.

"Pretty cool huh? If you ever need a badass motto or catchphrase, go talk to the Chief. He's got a real knack for 'em" Nero spoke over his shoulder as he walked off, only to jump out a window.

"Yeah… I'll keep that in mind…"

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Nah" came a familiar voice from the stairs, along with the sound of boot's landing on wood, "But I didn't get in until about three-ish" the blonde finished as he walked into the room, hands in his pockets with his usual lazy and tired expression.

"Where're the others?" Kakashi asked, referring to Naruto's clones.

"Serena's out on recon with her squad. Forge is on watch duty. Fordo and his people went out early for some training. Cody…" Naruto paused, "…couldn't sleep. I think he's still meditating" he finished as he sat down at the table, ignoring the occasional glare Inari sent him.

Though his teammates didn't think anything of it, Kakashi's eyes narrowed imperceptibly at Naruto's action just now. When he had paused… for a brief instant, Kakashi had seen something flash across the blonde's eyes. Something he couldn't quite place, both for its oddity and the briefness of its appearance. It almost looked like… sympathy… regret, and… was that sadness?

Something of importance had happened last night… but Naruto obviously wasn't going to talk about it. And Kakashi knew from experience that no matter how hard he might press, Naruto wouldn't so much as acknowledge the question until he was ready.

"Alright then, now that we're all here, we need to go over the plan for today"

"Sasuke, Sakura; I want you to continue training. We want you in top form for the end of the week"

The two genin nodded.

"Naruto, Tazuna needs to get back to the bridge, and I'm still incapacitated, so I'll leave the issue of security up to you, okay?"

"Understood. We'll keep an eye on him"

"Good. Other than that, I guess you can do whatever you want" the jounin replied, then quickly amended, "Within reason of course. And yes, that _does_ include your Mountain Dew stash"

"Aww… Sad face…"

Tazuna and Tsunami wondered what they could be talking about, while Sasuke and Sakura shivered. It had taken them a week to get that gunk out of their hair… and their houses… and the training field.

Inari kept sulking.

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Hm? You coming down with something Hinata?" Rex looked up from the ramen he was eating to the girl sitting next to him.

"Uh… no I don't think so" the girl replied, "Probably just someone talking about me"

"How much you wanna bet it's the chief about that Mountain Dew incident?" Highwind chuckled from next to them.

"Either that or that whole 'Super tenderizer of doom' fiasco" replied Cori.

"Yeah… what a mess that was…" Rex agreed, "Though it did make some great steak"

Hinata giggled at the antics of her friends along with Ayame behind the counter of Ichiraku's. And Rex had a point. That had been some good steak.

Ever since she and Naruto had become friends, she had became more and more acquainted with his subordinates. At first, she was wondering whether or not she should just treat them just as she did Naruto, but she had soon expelled such thoughts. She had soon realized that though they may have been made of Naruto's chakra, each and every one of them were their own person, each with their own unique personality.

She had found this comforting in a way, at least now she knew that there was only one 'real' Naruto. Having feelings for multiple entities was just plain weird.

By this point, she was now more or less acquainted with all of Naruto's clones, and they pretty much all had accepted her as their friend, which was something in and of itself, considering how closed off they were from the rest of the village.

She had found it fascinating how each possessed their own personality, yet were so similar to the original. And it wasn't like she was close to all of them either. Some, like Rex, Serena and Casper had easily become close friends with her, hanging out with her almost as much as Naruto did, while others, like Fordo and most of Reaper squad were still distant. It wasn't that they didn't like her, they were simply more closed off. Forge had once told her that they were like that to most clones, though they were just as loyal to their comrades as any of the others.

So, while Naruto might have been gone for the moment, it by no means meant that the young Hyuuga was lonely.

Currently, she was having some ramen with Rex and two of his lieutenants, Cori and Highwind, the three having been helping her with training. Cori was a female clone with short orange hair and emerald green eyes, along with a slightly bubbly persona. Highwind was a male with short blonde hair and similar green eyes. The two of them had apparently been formed in a similar 'strain' of chakra, making them someone like siblings, or so Naruto had told her.

Her thoughts of the clones made her realized something.

"Hey, I haven't seen any of Division Five around recently. Where are they?"

"Yeah, they're working on a project. Pretty big one too. Should be finished by the time the chief gets back" Rex answered.

"Yeah…" Hinata replied, her thoughts returning the blonde she so adored and admired.

* * *

"I spy… with my little eye… something beginning with… C"

"Concrete?"

"No"

"Crane?"

"No"

"Kiosk?"

"That starts with a K!"

"No it doesn't"

"Yes is does!"

"… well is it it?"

"No"

"Damn it"

Hammer shook his head at Dustil's antics. That guy had definitely been more Drak than anything else sometimes. But, like all of their comrades, he was an excellent fighter. The two Theta company soldiers were currently sitting atop a massive piece of scaffolding that towered over the construction site. The other members of Sergeant Fixer's platoon were spaced all around the bridge. Some on it, some under it. Combined with one of Talon's fire-team's on watch as well, nothing was getting close to the bridge without them knowing about it.

"Okay okay… um… Carp?"

"No…" Hammer answered, now getting a little annoyed.

"Crap?"

"Where would I be seeing that?!"

"I don't know… okay… um…"

"Chrome"

"Ada…" Hammer sighed to the third member of their party, a girl with platinum-blond hair and brown eyes, who was giggling at their antics.

"What? Seriously? Where?" Dustil said as he looked around, only to see the chrome plating on the crane right below them. He glared at his teammates in indignation.

"I hate you"

"Yeah, and we hate you too little buddy" the private replied with a smile as she gave him a pat on the head, something that was sure to tick off the blue haired private though his eyes were the same color as the girl's, who also happened to be unnaturally shorter than many of his fellow KB's, something many of his squadmates were quick to remind him of.

"Why you little-!"

"Hey, who are you calling 'little'? I don't think you have much of a right to say that" Ada replied, waving a finger at him like a mother scolding a child.

"AHH! You'll pay for that!"

Ada just smirked as she replied. So far, she was ahead 13 wins to 12 losses in their scuffles. "Bring it!"

"You asked for it!" with that, Dustil tackled her, sending both of them off the scaffold.

Hammer sighed. _"Okay people. The kids are having another lover's quarrel. Give 'em some room"_

The replies he got were just as exasperated as his order.

Even though Dustil and Ada had both been formed from the same strain of chakra, making them siblings in the eyes of everyone, since Ada had been formed before Dustil, she was technically the 'older' sister, though in actuality, she could be just as immature as her 'brother'. As for the 'lover's quarrel' thing… It was something they used to shut the two of them up when they were having an argument. So far, it had not seen a single failure.

He'd let them settle their differences for the moment. But if it took too long or they started bothering the clients, he'd use it.

Messing with people's heads was oh so fun after all.

* * *

"_Red team, report in. What's your status?"_

"_All green. Second perimeter is breached."_

"_Okay. Talon, what's the status of those Bogies?" _

"_Bogies are Alpha Nordian sir. No change" _

"_Affirmative. Green team, what's your status?"_

"_A little trouble. This netting is tougher than we thought. We could try slipping over the top"_

"_Negative Green team. Hold your position, there's a Bogie right on top of you"_

"_Roger that. Holding position"_

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes for a brief second, before putting them back through the binoculars, looking out over the water towards two of the fringe islands off of Wave country. Too anyone else, it would have been pitch black night. The moon was in its final waning stages, and the sky was thick with clouds.

In other words, perfect conditions for recon and infiltration.

The darkness hardly impeded Naruto's vision at all, Kyuubi's augmentations having given him excellent low-light vision.

Somewhere, out in the inky black water, were twenty of Casper's best operatives, as well as the corporal herself.

While Reaper Squad were no slouches at hide and seek, they were too valuable to risk on a recon op. And besides, Casper and her people were more than just recon, they were Division VI. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance

In other words, the spies.

Each of his 13 divisions of clones fulfilled a specific task and role. Division VI's role was information gathering. Such was a vital role. War's were won and lost on how much information each side possessed.

After all, Naruto mused, 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles'. He knew himself as well as he could, and with Division VI, he would always know his enemy.

And, right now, his enemy was Zabuza and Gato. They would need to be dealt with quickly. As a great man once said, 'In war, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.'

Kakashi may have had them training for when Zabuza would return, but if they could take him out before then, that would make dealing with Gato all the easier.

"_Alert! New contacts incoming, 11 o'clock!"_

Naruto's eyes widened as he whirled his binoculars around to just west of north to see several dark shapes on the water.

"_Talon, can you get a count?"_

"_Looks like… four patrol boats and… one large ship… freighter probably"_

"_Understood. Serena, can you confirm that?"_

"_Affirmative. I'm seeing the same thing."_

"_What's their bearing?"_

"_Ships are bearing… due-east sir. Looks like their heading for Gato's base"_

"_Okay… Blue team, what's your status?"_

"_Through the first net sir. What's up?"_

"_Casper, I need you to break off and follow those ships. We need to know what they're carrying"_

"_Understood"_ the dark-haired clone replied as she transferred the orders to her squad.

* * *

Casper breathed in quickly but quietly as she got her mouth just above water, her squad following suit. Just because they (like all other Division VI agents) had been augmented with high-capacity lungs, that didn't mean they could hold their breath indefinitely.

"_Zaalbar? Luca? Mission? Corbin? How you holding up?"_

"_Just peachy sir"_

"_No problems here"_

"_A-okay here sir"_

"_Well, apart from swallowing what I think was fish crap, I'm good… I think"_

Casper gave a smile at her underling's jokes.

"_Ah, suck it up ya wuss" _Mission teased.

"_I'd rather not, thank you very much"_ the blonde clone replied.

"…_eww. I really didn't need that mental image"_ Luca spoke up, rather disgusted.

"_Hehe. Okay you three, cut the chatter. They're almost into Gato's base. Look sharp"_

"_Yes sir!"_ came four simultaneous replies.

Casper, Luca and Zaalbar poked their head above water, just enough to see.

Casper let out a low whistle. Talon had said that place was big, but she had no idea it was _this_ big.

Jutting out from the spit of land it sat on was a monolith of steel and concrete. The entire complex covered almost the entire end of the peninsula. Casper could just make out several rows of barbed-wire fencing on the peninsula leading to it. Not to mention that the entire place was covered with search-lights and guard-towers. She was also pretty sure she heard the barking of guard-dogs as well.

But what the three of them were focusing on was the massive freighter that was pulling into one of the docks along the fortress's side.

"_Okay, spread out. Let's try to cover as many angles as possible"_

"_Yes sir"_ came the quiet, even in mental contact, reply.

The five agents proceed to spread out, as Casper said, they wanted to collect as much information as possible. At the same time, they moved in closer, though careful to stay outside the range of the search-lights.

"_Casper, are you there? Can you give me a sit-rep?"_ came Naruto's voice over her com.

"_The cow has just entered the slaughterhouse sir. We're setting up to watch the cutting"_ came Casper's coded reply. One of the things Naruto was most afraid of was someone listening in on their long range transmissions. Even though it was unlikely such an ability existed, Naruto was never one to take chances where sensitive and valuable intel was concerned.

"_Copy that. Let's see what kind of hamburger they'll make this into"_

"_Understood"_ Casper replied as she contacted her other clones.

"_Okay people, how's it look?"_

"_In position sir"_

"_Looks good from my end"_

"_Same here sir"_

"_Ditto on that"_

"_Alright. Begin recording and transmitting"_ Casper ordered as she focused her light-green eyes on the ship and dock it was mooring to. As she did, her retinas almost doubled in size, as well as elongating into fox-like slits. With the changes complete, her vision focused by many times, giving her a clear view of the activity on the dock. Meanwhile, her subordinates were going through a similar action, giving the team a clear view of everything that was going on around the ship. At the same time, the images they were getting were being transmitted via chakra imagery back to Naruto, as well as Forge, Cody, Serena and Fordo.

"_How's it look sir?"_ Casper asked.

"_Looks good on our end"_ Naruto answered from where he sat on the roof on Tazuna's house, his eyes closed as he, and his commanders looked through the visual imagery Casper and her team was sending them.

In actuality, they weren't just looking through Casper's eyes so to speak. From their perspective, they were no longer in their world. Instead, they all sat in chairs sitting on a floor that floated in blue and white space with countless symbols and lines. This was the mental data network, or rather a small corner of it. A pseudo-mindscape that provided a visual representation of the network of mental connections between Naruto's clones. It was mainly used by the clones in central command, Division I, to process and sort all kinds of data their fledgling organization was gathering. (1)

Right now, the five of them were looking at five floating screens, each showing the point-of-view of one of the infiltration team's members.

* * *

10 minutes later, and Naruto could say that they were all about to breath a sigh of relief. So far, all they had seen was supplies being off-loaded and a few dozen mercs getting off the ship. No ninja's, no army of samurai, no secret doomsday weapons. Nothing to be worried about.

"_Looks like they're almost finished sir. I'm not seeing anything important here." _ Casper said over the com-link.

"Yeah, we haven't seen anything of interest on our end either" Fordo replied.

"I've been cross-referencing what we've seen to the database. Nothing of real importance." Cody spoke up.

"_Wait a minute"_ Casper suddenly spoke up, _"Looks like there's one last group of mercs getting off"_

"Copy that." Naruto replied as the five of them looked towards Luca's image, showing the best view of the area where the new arrivals were disembarking.

The image showed several men walking down the wooden gangplank to the dock. All of them were in some kind of armor, ranging from heavy leather coats to plate-armor.

"Some of that armor looks pretty high-end," Forge spoke, "These might be some elite mercs."

"Hm…you're probably right" Naruto agreed, eyes never leaving the image.

"Hey, look over to the left" Sirena said, pointing, "Isn't that Gato?" she continued, pointing to a short man in a business suit that was walking onto the concrete dock.

"Yeah… that is him… and he's talking to one of those guys" Naruto replied, "Luca, zoom in on those two."

"_Yes sir"_

The image magnified, showing the short business man talking to what seemed to be the mercs' leader. This man looked to be about six feet tall, and though they were only able to make out about a third of his face, he did look to be middle-age. He had dark-brown that fell around his head in a messy fashion. The man was dressed much like most of the others, though he did wear a large leather coat.

"Wait… there's something written on his jacket… focus in on his back Luca."

"_Got it"_

The image magnified further, showing the back of the man's jacket. On it were several kanji.

"Bloody Avalanche…" Naruto read aloud, "Cody, cross-reference that"

"Yes sir" the clone replied as Naruto continued to stare at the image.

"Where have I heard that before?"

"Oh crap… Sir!" Cody yelled from his console, "Take a look at this!"

Naruto, Forge, Sirena and Fordo were around him instantly, looking at the screen.

The blonde scowled. "Yep. I knew I'd heard that somewhere…"

"Casper!" Naruto turned back towards the screen, "Get you and your team out of there ASAP!"

"_Sir? What's up?"_

"That's an order! Fall back now!"

"_Yes sir!" _came the shocked and rushed reply as the image cut out. Naruto then turned away as he opened another link.

"Talon, what's your teams' status?"

"_Sir we checked all three islands, nothing. Just some mercs and com gear. That's it. We're pulling out of there now"_

"Alright. Fall back to base and await further orders."

"_Yes sir"_

A humorless chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he and the others left the Net Base.

"And here I thought this might actually be easy"

* * *

"Kakashi" Naruto spoke as he walked into the room Sasuke and the jounin shared. The jounin was already awake reading his porn while Sasuke was getting his shoes on for some early morning training.

"Hm? Naruto, you're up early"

"I never went to sleep. And we've got a problem" the blonde replied as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder as he tried to leave to room.

"Go get Sakura"

"Why? Get her yourself" Sasuke replied. Personally, he didn't want to go into that girl's room. Especially after the tent incident.

"Because she won't try to hurt you for getting her up this early. Now go wake her up. You both need to hear this" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he gave Sasuke a look that said there was no arguing.

The boy was taken aback a little at this. It was the same voice Naruto had used when he was giving them orders during their battle with Zabuza. And if Naruto had gotten serious, then there was definitely something up.

Even so, Sasuke looked to Kakashi for confirmation. The jounin didn't hesitate to nod for him to proceed. And Sasuke also noticed that his book was now closed.

As the Uchiha boy left to get his teammate, Kakashi gave a look to Naruto as the blonde sat down.

"Is it that bad?"

"Yep"

Five minutes later, Sasuke and Sakura were sitting in the room, looking to Naruto. The pink-haired kunoichi had been rather confused as to why Naruto had something to tell them at 5:30 in the morning, but when she saw the look on his face, she knew it had to be bad.

"Alright, here's what happened" the blonde began, "Approximately five hours ago, a freighter docked at Gato's compound. My recon team was able to confirm that the passengers are the Shinku Yamakuzure"

At this, Kakashi's visible eye widened.

"What?! Are you sure about that?" he spoke, voice obviously tense. At this, Sasuke and Sakura really started worrying. Neither of them had ever heard of this 'Shinku Yamakuzure' before, but if it was enough to make Kakashi squirm like _this_, it had to be bad.

"Yes. We were able to positively identify Katsu Nadare as their leader. He perfectly matches the reports from the latest Bingo Book"

Now Sasuke and Sakura were really worried. The fact that these people were in the Bingo Book meant only one thing. They were shinobi.

"Wait a minute," Sasuke spoke, "Who are these guys? Are they… really shinobi?"

"Yeah," Kakashi answered, "The Shinku Yamakuzure are a group of missing-nin from Iwagakure. Originally, they were a team of Iwa-nins that fought in the Third Great Shinobi War, and they had quite the violent reputation. Believe me, that nickname is well deserved"

"But… why would Gato hire more shinobi? I thought you said hiring shinobi was pretty expensive" Sakura asked.

"Well for one thing, it's probably because of Naruto." the jounin answered. "Remember, his clones could probably rip through Gato's army of mercenaries with little resistance"

"Correction. We _would_ rip through his army with little resistance" Naruto spoke up with a smirk on his face.

"Anyway, as I was saying… Since Gato no doubt knows what kind of threat we pose to him, he's hired more shinobi. And the Shinku Yamakuzure are certainly the best option for someone like him"

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked.

"They tend to give discounts to tyrants and dictators"

The two genins' eyes widened at this.

"Those people… are the scum of society. No better than the mercenaries Gato has already hired. Personally, I think they are an insult to everything shinobi should be." Kakashi finished with a scathing tone that made it obvious he was personally familiar with the work of this group.

"So then… what are our chances now?" Sakura asked, unease evident in her voice.

"Well, Iwa shinobi are known for their overwhelming numbers in battle. They fight by attrition. Quantity over quality. Naruto, how many did your clones see getting off the boat?"

"We'd put their numbers at around a hundred, give or take a dozen. Probably 60 percent chunin, 30 percent jounin"

"Damn… That means they're all here" Kakashi swore. Zabuza was bad enough, but now this? "That's the equivalent to about three of our ANBU teams, especially given their reputation"

Now, even Naruto's eyes widened. _Three_ ANBU teams worth? Sasuke had almost paled and Sakura was practically shaking.

"We may be in over our heads with this. Naruto, how many clones do you have left?"

"118" the blonde replied.

"And how well do you think they'd hold up against those Iwa-nins?"

"In a direct confrontation? They'd rip right through us."

Kakashi grimaced as this information set in. He knew they had their hands full already with Zabuza and his apprentice. Now… he was becoming doubtful that they could even survive.

"Then… I think we really have bitten off more than we can chew here." the jounin spoke, his voice grave.

"Wait… so are you saying…?" Sasuke asked.

"I already have my hands full with Zabuza… I was hoping that you and Naruto would be able to take out his apprentice, while Naruto's clones took out Gato's mercenaries. But if we went up against the Shinku Yamakuzure as well with our current fighting strength…"

"…we'd be slaughtered"

The room the four of them sat in became decidedly quiet at that statement. Naruto was leaning up against the wall next to the window, his face set in an even, but still grave look. Sasuke was looking down with wide eyes while Sakura just stared at the jounin, both trying to comprehend what he had just told them. The fact was, even though they may have been greatly separated by their skill, Sasuke and Sakura shared one thing. Their inexperience. Sasuke's torture at the hands of his brother may have numbed him to the sight of death, but in no way prepared him to stare death in the face. Both genin had faced death two times thus far on this mission. But the encounter with the demon brothers had simply happened too quickly for them to realize his fear. With Zabuza, they had been staring death in the face, like either would be killed without even knowing. This time however…

This time they _knew_. They knew that if they continued like they were, in just under six days they'd all be _dead_. And if Sasuke was being truthful with himself, that scared him even more.

"Can't… Can't we call for help or something?" Sakura asked, trying to come up with _something_.

Kakashi simply shook his head. "It would take too long for any of my summons to get a message to Konoha and for them to respond. And we're outside of Naruto's communication range with the clones he left in Konoha too."

"Then what do we do?" Sasuke spoke, his hands clinched into fists, "Do we just… run away? Like scared cowards?" he finished as his fists began to shake in anger. Both at the prospect of the act itself, but also at the fact that part of him, a large part of him, _wanted_ to do just that.

Kakashi seemed to flinch at that statement, averting his eyes as he spoke.

"Unfortunately… I think that's the only option open to us"

"Bullshit"

Everyone's eyes widened as they turned to see Naruto, who had been quiet this entire time, looking back, his face set in a look of steely determination. Kakashi could see it. There was a fire in his eyes. A cold fire, a small fire. But a fire that was only being held in check. Were it not, it would be an all-consuming inferno.

It was a look he hadn't seen… sense his sensei.

"Are we really going to run away? Leave these people to their fate at the hands of a tyrant? Shinobi were founded on the principle of protecting the weak from their oppressors. Simple farmers and peasants, who couldn't stand the tyranny of their rulers, who took up the bow and the knife, and used stealth and subterfuge to protect those they cared for. What kind of shinobi would we be, if we left these people to their doom at a tyrant's hands? An insult, that's what. Both to our village, and our order."

Now, Sasuke and Sakura were staring not just in shock, but awe as well. The words he had said, they went straight to the heart. Like you knew them to be true, even if you might not understand their meaning. Was this… what a true leader was?

But Kakashi, as much as he wanted to stay and fight, as much as he hated himself for running, he had to protect those under his command. And charging into a hopeless battle… wasn't the way to do that.

"Naruto… I know what you're saying but… we can't beat all of them with our strength alone. You said it yourself; your clones wouldn't stand a chance against the Yamakuzure."

However… even as the jounin spoke those words, Naruto's lips curled upward into his characteristic smirk.

"I only said they'd be slaughtered in a _direct_ confrontation," the blonde spoke, "But you should know Kakashi… there are many other ways to fight a war."

Kakashi's eyes widened as the true meaning of Naruto's words sunk in. Stealth… and Subterfuge…

"Naruto… are you saying that…?"

The blonde simply chuckled. "Just keep preparing to take out Zabuza Kakashi-sensei. Leave those Iwa-nins to us."

With that he moved to the window.

"Can you do it?" Kakashi asked, his gaze leveled at Naruto. If the blonde was wrong, they would all pay a very high price. "Can you and your clones really take down all of them?"

Naruto simply smirked as he glanced back.

"Just who the hell do you think we are?" (2)

It was, at that very moment, that Kakashi Hatake saw a ghost. The ghost of his sensei, imposed on the face of the man's son.

"_Hokage-sama! The Kyuubi has breached the outer defenses! We don't have any more time!"_

_Minato back at him from his desk, the seal array just having been completed._

"_Kakashi…I know I'm the Hokage now, and I know you're ANBU…but please, just call me Minato, or Sensei, alright? You of all people have earned that privilege. Remember that."_

'_Inu' was silent for a moment._

"…_Hai, Minato-sama. But… are you sure this will work? The Kyuubi… it just seems… invincible. How do we know this will do anything?"_

_The blonde haired man gave him a small smirk._

"_Kakashi… just who the hell do you think I am?"_

_With that, the Yondaime Hokage leapt out the window, disappearing in a flash of light._

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He would trust Naruto… just as he trusted the boy's father. After all, they had a habit of doing the impossible.

As Naruto leapt from the window to the roof of the house, he turned to face the general direction of Gato's compound.

"_Serena, this is the Chief. Operation Ghost Wave is a go"_

"_Understood sir. We're moving out now"_

"_Good. Keep me updated at all times"_

"_Roger that"_

"_By the way, good luck"_

"_Don't worry sir. We won't need it"_

Naruto smiled to himself as he cut the link and reached into the inside of his jacket. Reaching into one of the many pockets in the jacket, he pulled out a small, paper-back book. It was small and non-descript save for the title, and was worn from many reads despite only having been in his possession for six months.

Flipping it open to a bookmarked page, Naruto read the page's final passage to himself.

'_Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all. It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or loss…'_

By this time next week… The enemies of Wave… Would lie dead in the ground. They would make sure of it.

* * *

AN: The plot thickens…

As you can see, porn isn't the only thing Naruto has been reading…

(1). Just imagine the scenes with the Net from Ghost in the Shell S.A.C.

(2). No, I'm not making this a TTGL xover, though this certainly won't be the last reference to it…

Shinku Yamakuzure-Crimson Landslide

And my thanks to I'M NOT CRAZY for the Latin translations

My deepest apologies for the late update. But I've had a lot on my plate over the summer. Mostly preparing for college, my college application essay most of all. And I _really_ want to get into Rochester Institute of Technology, so fanfiction has been on the backburner for a while. However, it doesn't look like I'll have a heavy school load this year, which means I'll be able to update faster.

Read and Review


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XVI**

**Something Worth Fighting For**

* * *

Ryuzaki Asahina had always prided himself on knowing a good deal when he saw one. And the deal he saw when he had showed up for work at Gato's compound was probably the best one he had ever seen. Especially for his profession.

After all, stupid spies don't live very long.

The business man was basically paying mercs to just stand around and harass a bunch of scared villagers. Sure there were those shinobi that the bridge builder had brought with him, but they could just let those Stone-nins and that Mist psycho worry about them. I mean, they were just a bunch of kids weren't they?

And now, Gato had hired Ryuzaki and a bunch of the other mercs who had a talent for espionage to go out around the country to keep an eye on those kids. How much easier could it get? After all, there was only one actual jounin among them, and from what he had heard, that guy had been pretty badly injured. So how hard would it be to hide from a bunch of kids?

The brown haired man would later learn to regret those words.

He was currently hiding up in a tree that he had expertly scaled (after all, who would expect a mercenary with no ninja training to be hiding in a tree?), watching a clearing where a bunch of those ninja were doing what he assumed was training. Really, all they were doing was running up trees and sparring with each other. Nothing of real interest.

Ryuzaki didn't really see what Gato was so worried about. Those Iwa-nins he hired would slaughter the lot of those kids in no time flat. Heck, he was willing to bet that he and the other mercs would be enough to get the job done. But he supposed that paranoia was a pretty good trait to have when you're a person like Gato.

"Well, guess I'll just move on. Nothing much to see here." He mumbled to himself, not expecting a reply.

"Appearances can be deceiving." Came a voice from behind him, along with a small blade held to his throat.

Ryuzaki's eyes widened as he noticed the sword, only slightly turning his head to see the head of brown hair.

"We don't take kindly to being spied on you know." Talon spoke, holding his wakizashi right on Ryuzaki's neck, enough for the spy to feel the blade beginning to bite into his skin.

"Are… are you going to kill me?" the man whispered. Somehow… these _kids_ didn't seem so weak and stupid anymore. Had this guy been watching him this whole time?

"If you don't give me a choice."

"Wh…What do you mean?"

"We have a proposition for you, mercenary." Talon spoke, bringing his sword slightly away from the man's neck to illustrate his point. "One that I assure would be very lucrative for us both"

Ryuzaki swallowed hard. This kid could have taken off his head and he wouldn't have even known it until the Shinigami appeared to take his soul. If he was going to live, he knew he had to hear this kid out. Plus… he did say it would be lucrative…

"What kind of proposition?"

Talon smirked as he withdrew his sword. "We know you've been spying on us for a while, and normally, we'd have killed you on sight. But you have something we want. Or rather, you can get something we want."

"What's that?" the man asked as he turned to face the clone.

"Information of course" Talon replied, "As you know, we're fighting a war against Gato. And as I'm sure you know, wars are won and lost on how much information one side has on the other."

"You want me to spy on Gato… for you?" Ryuzaki asked as the answer came to him.

"Exactly. And give him false information on what we're doing."

"Why the hell should I do that? I'd rather not play for the losing side. And he is paying me in case you forgot. I'm not turning on my meal ticket."

To this, Talon only smirked. "Who says we're the losing side? If you decline, then we probably would lose… But if you accept, and get us all the information we need, I can assure you, we will win. And I can also assure you that we pay a lot better than Gato."

This got Ryuzaki's attention. "How much better?"

"Well, when we raid Gato's compound, how about… 1 percent of the money he keeps in his vault there?"

Ryuzaki's eyes widened to about the size of dinner plates at this. He had heard the rumors after all. That Gato kept up to a billion ryo in that vault. 1 percent of that… 10 million ryo… that'd be enough to set him up for life… he'd never have to do any work again with that kind of money… But then again…

"But what if you don't win huh? What happens to me then?"

"Nothing. If you're good, Gato will never know you've been feeding us information. Even if we lose, you'll still get the pay from him. Either way, you win. It's just if you work for us, you could potentially win a lot more. Oh and…"

With one quick motion, Talon's wakizashi was placed right at Ryuzaki's neck again, "…there is the issue of letting you live."

Ryuzaki chewed on his lip as he mulled this over. He could just accept the kid's offer so he'd let him live, then not give him any information and that'd be the end of it. But on the other hand… 10 million ryo… That kind of offer was just too good to pass up…

"Okay kid. You got a deal."

Talon's grin widened.

"But how do want me to get the information to you?"

"Like this," Talon replied as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small object that Ryuzaki thought looked like a bean of some kind. Then, before the man could ask what it was, Talon reached up and quickly shoved it into Ryuzaki's ear.

"Aak, what the hell was that?"

"Just an ear-piece communicator," Talon replied, "It'll allow you to contact us with your information, and allow us to contact you with what we want you to tell Gato."

"Okay but, how do I get it out?" the man asked as he picked at his ear. The thing wasn't exactly painful, but it itched a little. And he didn't exactly feel comfortable with a foreign object in his ear.

"Keep it in there for the week. After we win, we'll take it out of you."

"Alright" Ryuzaki relented. He supposed it could be worse. The thought of that brought another possibility to his attention. "I'm the only one you're hiring for this, right?" he certainly didn't want the possibility of competition with the other mercs for this giant wad of cash.

"Of course," Talon answered. We could tell you were the best spy there, and we're trying to keep this as quiet as possible of course…"

"Yeah Yeah, I know. 'Don't tell anybody', believe me, I won't."

"Excellent. Now get out of here," Talon ordered, "We'll contact you with what to tell Gato by the end of the day."

"Got it" Ryuzaki nodded as he quickly started climbing down the tree and casually walking off into the woods. As he did, Talon smirked as he opened a com channel.

"_The fishy has taken the bait."_

"_Good. That makes 26 so far. This is easier than we thought."_

"_You got that right."_

* * *

Sasuke panted, his body hunched over in exhaustion. What was he doing wrong?

He knew he must be doing _something_ wrong. He had been trying to run up this damn tree for over three hours and he still wasn't able to get past the half-way mark.

Naruto had made this look so easy! What was the blonde doing that he wasn't?

"God dammit!" Sasuke yelled as he kicked at the tree, only succeeding in sending jolts of pain through his leg.

The sound of footsteps coming into the clearing broke him from his thoughts.

"Still having trouble?" came a voice that Sasuke recognized. It was like Naruto's, but had a more gruff and harder tone. A tone he also recognized.

"What do you want?" he asked as turned to glance at the clone standing at the edge of the clearing.

Forge shook his head at Sasuke's attitude. Really, he wasn't expecting much from this. But he, and the chief, needed to know if the Uchiha was ready.

The clone didn't move from his position as he watched Sasuke charge at the tree again. Like a man running for his life, he charged straight up the trunk, only to lose his footing about halfway up. But unlike before, he hadn't given himself enough time to recover from his last attempt, and wasn't able to push himself off to land on his feet.

The result? Sasuke landed flat on his back in a manner that Forge knew had to hurt.

It was only as Sasuke was weakly getting to his feet that the clone spoke.

"There's an easier way of doing that you know."

Sasuke quickly looked back to the clone, first wondering whether he would come out and say it, but then remembering that this was, at least in way, _Naruto_ he was talking to, and purely altruistic aid was very unlikely.

"Are you going to tell me this way?" he asked.

"Well that depends. Are willing to accept help from the 'dead-last'?"

Sasuke was silent. He knew what Forge was doing. He was testing which was stronger. His pride as an Uchiha, or his pride as a ninja. His pride as an Uchiha said that he didn't need help from anyone, least of all a clanless nobody. But his pride as a ninja said that he should accept help wherever he found it. That a solution had shown itself, and he should do all that he could to exploit the opportunity.

"What am I doing wrong?" he spoke. In the end, he was a ninja before he was an Uchiha. He supposed that was one of the few things he had in common with his brother. Like him, he was willing to do anything, even swallow his stubborn pride to obtain the strength he needed.

Forge gave a small smile. Maybe the Uchiha wasn't such a lost cause after all.

The clone walked over to a tree next to Sasuke's.

"Your problem is that you're taking this way too fast." he began as he stood in front of the tree, his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?"

Forge shook his head. "I mean you're charging forward blindly like a headstrong idiot."

Sasuke bristled slightly at that, but he actually found it refreshing that Forge wasn't being nice or soft with him like Sakura always seemed to be. He certainly was Naruto's clone.

"Look, the whole concept of training is that you have all the time you may need to learn something. You don't have a need to rush things. That's what you're doing wrong."

"Okay, how does that help me?" Sasuke asked, hoping that the clone wasn't just giving him some philosophical advice that wouldn't help his situation any.

Forge sighed. "Put your foot on the tree, like you're about to try running up it."

Sasuke did so, not sure what the clone was saying.

"Now, don't take another step until you have that one anchored to the tree with chakra."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He had never heard of a tactic like this before. But he followed the clones instructions. He channeled chakra to his feet, and tried to take another step. The moment he did, his foot slipped and he fell right on his back again.

Forge sighed again. "You have to take things _slow_. Otherwise you're just wasting time and effort."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke grunted as he got to his feet, slightly annoyed at the clone's indifference, but he supposed he liked that better than what Sakura might have done, "I was taking it slow."

"No. You _weren't_." Fordo replied. "Look," he continued as he placed his foot on the tree, "Try it again, and don't take another step this time."

Scowling in frustration, Sasuke complied.

"Okay, now what?"

"Now don't take another step until that foot is stuck to the tree. I don't care how long it takes. Don't take another step until that foot is absolutely _glued_ to that tree. Understand?"

Sasuke nodded, and began channeling chakra to his foot again. This time though… something was different. He didn't feel rushed, he could feel out the surface of the tree, and apply chakra. He would occasionally test how well stuck he was, pulling gently on his foot until it began to give. He could feel that, over time, his foot was getting harder and harder to pull lose, until finally, he could hardly move it at all.

"Is it stuck now?" Forge spoke, breaking Sasuke from his thoughts.

"Yeah… it is." It was odd, that entire process hadn't taken more than ten minutes.

"Good. _Now _take another step."

With that, Sasuke brought his other foot off the ground, careful to keep the chakra secured to his other foot. It was actually a lot easier than he thought. When he had placed his other foot a step ahead of the other, Forge spoke again.

"Alright. Now, do the same thing with that foot. Don't cut the chakra to your first foot until you _know_ that the other one is secure."

Sasuke nodded as he began channeling chakra to his left foot just as he had to his right. It was easier he realized. He knew just what concentration and amount of chakra he needed and where. What had taken him ten minutes before, now only took seven.

Being extra careful this time, Sasuke slowly cut the chakra flow to his right foot, bringing his foot up ahead of his left, careful to keep that foot in place. It was even easier this time, only taking about five minutes for him to get his foot stuck.

He kept repeating the process. Step, stick, unstick, step. Slowly, and methodically, Sasuke was making his way up the tree. He didn't sense anything around him, all of his concentration focused on this tree, and walking up it. He didn't even register the leaves brushing past his face as he entered the canopy. Before he knew it, the Uchiha was at the kunai Kakashi had thrown into the tree the other day.

"Now do you see?"

Sasuke looked over to see Forge standing on a branch of the tree next to his, a knowing smirk on his face. "The entire concept of training is that you have all the time you need to learn and practice your skills. You can take as long as you like."

Sasuke looked back to his feet, remembering how badly he had been doing before.

"Because of that, you should use that time to its fullest. If you want to learn something, you should simplify it as much as you can. Learn something step by step. The great thing about training is that you don't have to worry about having a skill combat-ready on your first go. You can take things _slowly_." Forge continued.

Sasuke nodded. He was beginning to understand now. By breaking down the problem, he made it easier to solve. And Naruto was right. He didn't have to worry about enemies or dangers when he was training. Not only could he fully concentrate on a problem, he could take as long as he needed to solve it.

Sasuke almost chuckled at the ridiculousness of this situation. He, the rookie of the year, someone known for being able to train the best out of the entire class, was being shown a far _better_ way to train, by the dead last. Not to mention that this entire method was based on taking things slowly and methodically, things that he knew, at least to the Naruto he had known at the academy, were about as familiar a concept as dieting practice was to Chouji.

It was truly amazing, how this person was practically in no way the boy he and Sakura had known.

And at this point, Sasuke did something he knew, six months ago, he would never be caught dead doing.

"Thanks."

Forge just nodded, his smirk turning into a good-natured smile. "Just keep doing that until you don't have to think about it. That's how we learned it."

Sasuke nodded as the clone dropped to the ground. The Uchiha then began to turn around so he could walk back to the ground. He might have a ways to go before sticking to surfaces became just as unconscious an action as it was to Naruto and Kakashi, but at least he was on the right path

* * *

Sakura sighed in defeat as she sank to the ground. Everything seemed so… hopeless.

She didn't have any delusions of grandeur, not like after she graduated. This mission had made it abundantly clear. She was useless. How was she ever going to reach out to Sasuke? How was she going to make him notice her?

On the surface, she may have seemed like just another fangirl, swooned by the Uchiha's distant demeanor and coolness, but under that… it was something more. Because she had seen what she was sure no one else had. She had seen the kind of person Sasuke Uchiha really was. A sad boy, mourning the loss of his family.

How was she going to show him that she was different? that she really wasn't like all the others?

"Having trouble?" came a familiar voice from above her. Sakura looked up into the branches of the canopy above her to see the familiar blue eyes and blonde hair, with a face set in indifference and apathy.

"Hey… Naruto." she spoke, not feeling like getting riled up on how he had snuck up on her. And really, she had discovered that calling the blonde stupid was a far greater insult to herself then to him. After all, she knew that he was her superior in almost every way. So if she thought he was an idiot, then what did that make her? In truth, his arrival had made things worse. The last thing she needed right now was more of his quips, insults and bad jokes.

"Lemme' guess… problems with Sasuke?"

Sakura flinched at this. He had read her like an open book. Was he that good? Or was she that easy of a person to read?

She nodded. The last thing she wanted was to set him off on one of his insult-sprees. So she decided that antagonizing him wasn't the best course of action right now.

Naruto sighed as he rolled his eyes. "What do you see in him anyway? Sure he's a strong ninja, and I guess girls like you can't resist estrogen brigade bait like him, but he's not exactly extremely strong. Plus he's not a very nice guy either. I can't see what makes him so special to you. Or is that just another fangirl thing?"

"That's not true!" Sakura spoke up, glaring up at the blonde, "Sasuke-kun…" she stopped herself before she started defending the Uchiha like she always had. That would just antagonize the blonde further. And in truth, she knew that, at least to someone who didn't know what she did, he was right. But there was something else "…You're wrong."

"Hm?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, obviously a bit surprised that she had stopped her defense of Sasuke.

"I'm… I'm not like the other… I've seen… who Sasuke-kun really is."

She'd admit that, at least at first, she was just another fangirl, awed and enraptured by the boy's great skill and dark, cool demeanor that made him the target of every girl at the academy. Well, almost every girl. But, in their third year at the academy, she had, purely by chance, witnessed something that had changed her whole view on the young Uchiha.

_Flashback_

* * *

Sakura was in a rather good mood today. Class had been easy, Ino had left her alone and Naruto-baka had been absent. But there was one thing that the ten-year-old girl missed. Her beloved Sasuke-kun had been absent as well. Iruka-sensei had said something about him being absent for training.

Now, she was walking home, but she decided to go by a few of the training areas that were open to academy students, hoping she might run into the boy of her dreams.

The first few training areas had been empty, but as she approached one of the smaller, out of the way areas through the trees, she heard the unmistakable noise of someone training.

Her heart sped up as she realized what this meant, and quickened her pace, but being careful not to make too much noise. She didn't want to disturb Sasuke-kun's training after all.

Coming up behind a large oak tree, Sakura looked out into the small clearing, careful to keep herself as hidden as possible.

There, standing in the middle of the clearing, was Sasuke. He had obviously been practicing his kunai and shuriken throwing, as Sakura could see several targets on the trees in the clearing. Sasuke was standing in the middle of all this, his eyes closed as he held several kunai in his hands. But he wasn't facing any single target.

Was he actually going to try to hit all of the targets at once? Sakura's heart fluttered at the prospect of seeing him do that. No one else at the academy could hit more than four targets at a time, let alone twice that many in all directions. Was he actually able to do that?

But then Sakura noticed something else. One target was set away from the others. This was the target Sasuke was facing. However… there was one major reason why Sakura hadn't considered this the one Sasuke was facing. There was a large tree between Sasuke and the target.

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized it. Was he actually going to try to hit that target? Somehow angle one of the kunai so it would travel around the tree trunk to hit the target behind it? She had heard that this was something only high-level jounin were capable of. Was Sasuke-kun… actually going to attempt it? Was he trying to learn this advanced maneuver?

She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she thought about it. She had always known Sasuke-kun was the greatest… but to see him practice something that even most _chunin_ didn't know… she was afraid she might faint.

Sakura suddenly realized that Sasuke had opened his eyes and breathed out a slow, controlled breath. He was about to begin!

Sasuke breathed out again, obviously steeling himself. This had to be an incredibly difficult maneuver to practice, even for Sasuke-kun.

The young Uchiha spread his stance, bent down and then, leapt high into the air.

Sasuke twisted his body in mid-air as he let loose the kunai. Those aimed at the targets around him flew true, certain to hit their targets. But Sakura noticed that two of the kunai had not been hurled at targets, instead thrown to either side of the tree that separated Sasuke from the final target.

Then she noticed that Sasuke was still holding two kunai.

With a flick of his wrists, the Uchiha hurled the two remaining knives at the ones he had already thrown. Sakura's eyes widened further. So that's how he was going to hit the final target. Altering the flight path of the two kunai by hitting them with two other kunai. This was incredible!

The two other kunai seemed to fly just as true as the others. They overcame the speed of the first two, hit the other knives…

…and spun them out of control, causing all four to land harmlessly on the grass.

Sasuke landed on the ground, the entire display having taken only a few seconds. The boy scowled, obviously angry at his failure. Sakura had the urge to go out to comfort him, to encourage him that it was only the wind, or bad luck, and that he'd get it next time.

She was about to do just that when Sasuke did something else.

"God DAMMIT!" Sasuke yelled as he punched a tree. Sakura's eyes widened at this. Was he really this angry that he had messed up this one time? It was a very difficult maneuver to perfect. She doubted anyone else at the academy would have been able to _hit_ those kunai in mid-air. Why was he so upset?

"Why?" Sakura's thoughts were broken as she heard him speak, to himself obviously. "Why?... Why can't I do this!" he yelled again as he sank to the ground, leaning against a tree.

Sakura recognized that look. It was a look she had seen on many of her classmates, and on herself. It was the look of defeat. But she had never seen it on Sasuke. But it didn't make sense, why was he trying to learn such an advanced technique? And… why was he so upset at his failure? Had this just been the latest of failures to complete it?

"Or… am I just not ready?" he spoke, looking up into the sky. Sakura knew he was talking to himself, she just wondered what, or who, he was referring to. "You'd probably say that… Itachi."

Sakura's eyes widened as she heard that name. Itachi… Itachi Uchiha. The one who had massacred Sasuke's clan, and left Sasuke-kun as the only survivor.

As he said the word, Sasuke scowled, and pounded his fist into the ground. As if saying the name had put some vile taste in his mouth. He obviously hated the man. Why wouldn't he? Sakura knew he had every right to. But why was he talking about him like he knew him. Had they been close before the massacre? Nobody really talked about Itachi that much, especially to the younger generation. All she knew was that he was a genius ninja, showing more promise than even Sasuke. She knew he had been an ANBU captain at the age when most children became genin. And she knew that he was an Uchiha. A traitor to his own family. But she'd never heard of any kind of connection between him and Sasuke-kun.

"You…" Sasuke spoke again softly, "You were able to do this… before even this age…" he looked up again, and Sakura swore she could see his eyes watering up. "Am I… really so far behind you… aniki?"

Sakura could barely hold back a gasp at this. Sasuke… had just called him… 'brother'… Was the one who massacred his clan… and left him an orphan… really his _older brother_? That… that was impossible…

But before she could ponder this any further, Sasuke had reached into his pocket, and pulled out a photograph. He held it above his head, looking up at it.

Sakura was close enough to just barely make out what was on the photo. It showed two adults, a man and a woman, and two boys. One looked to be her age, maybe a little older, and the other looked to be a few years younger, six or seven maybe.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the people in the picture. The adults, were Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. The head of the Uchiha clan when the massacre occurred. And the older boy she recognized from a photograph she had seen when she had watched her father go over the latest bingo book, Itachi Uchiha. And the younger boy… that was Sasuke!

So… it was true. Itachi wasn't just the one who had murdered Sasuke's family… he was his own _brother_.

"Itachi…" Sasuke spoke up again, seemingly talking to the image of his older brother. "You told me to grow strong… to hate you… to despise you… all so I could kill you."

Sakura could barely take all this in… her entire perception of the young Uchiha had been turned on its head!

"Well… I have hated you… I have despised you… and I will continue to. Until you lie dead at my feet. I will not… I cannot… ever forgive you. I… I will kill you. You can be sure of that."

"And… if I should fail… then… at least I'll get to see mother again…" a small smile had spread across his face, and Sakura could see the tears begin to flow down his face. "I'll… be with all of them again…" Sakura could see a smile, the likes of which she had never seen on the boy, spread across his face. It was a rare time when Sasuke smiled, and it was usually a dark smirk, or a superior grin. This… was a smile of kindness, and love. The love that any child would feel for their family.

Sakura sat there, for a long time, even after Sasuke had eventually left, never aware of her presence. But Sakura was never aware of this. Even as she walked home on autopilot. What she had seen today… had turned everything she thought of the young Uchiha on its head.

She… She'd had no idea. All this time, Sasuke had merely had the image of being strong, dark and cool. That was what attracted all the girls to him. But underneath all of that… she had never realized who he really was. A boy, who had had his family killed, by his own brother. This… revelation… had forced her to rethink almost everything she thought of Sasuke. And really… she had come out of it with a new love for Sasuke. Before, her feelings for Sasuke had just been a schoolgirl crush, much like all of the other members of his fanclub. Now… she truly loved him. She wanted to help him. To be there for him. Not for Sasuke the ninja genius, but for Sasuke the orphan. The Sasuke that had lost everything that was important. She would help him. She promised herself that.

_End Flashback_

* * *

"And… that's why…" Sakura spoke, concluding her narrative, looking up to the blonde above her, trying to gauge his reaction. Would he laugh at her? Mock her? She wouldn't be surprised. And yet… something told her he wouldn't.

Naruto sat there, leaning against the tree trunk, his eyes closed in thought, before opening his eyes and gave a neutral, indifferent look to Sakura.

Then… he smiled.

"Well Sakura, it seems I owe you an apology."

"Wha…?" Sakura asked, very confused. Of all the responses she was expecting, this was not one of them.

"I was wrong. It seems you're not so much of a fangirl after all."

Sakura was now practically gaping at the blonde. _Naruto_… was _apologizing_… to _her_… Was the apocalypse nigh or something? But then again… It wasn't like she had ever tried to actually _talk_ to him before. Mostly she would act like she had at the academy towards him. And… that wasn't exactly nice.

"But…" Sakura was broken from her thoughts to see that Naruto had adopted a… curious expression, "If you care about him that much, why do you act like all those other fangirls? If you're so different, why don't you show him?"

When he had started talking, Sakura had thought he was just going back to the Naruto, the new Naruto, that she had known these past months. But it was still that strange, almost kind, demeanor. He still sounded indifferent, but at the same time, his words had an air of kindness to them. Was this… just another side of Naruto? One he had never shown them before?

Remembering what he had just said, Sakura couldn't help but feel depressed. It was true. Despite the fact that she probably did care for Sasuke far more than any of the other girls at the academy, she had still acted no different than them. Why would Sasuke see her as any different, if she didn't appear any different?

"I… I don't know. I guess I… don't know how…" she admitted. It was true, now that she thought about it. She really didn't have any idea of how to approach Sasuke, especially now, when he thought she was just another fangirl.

"Do you want my advice?" Naruto spoke, his voice even, but still holding that same strange kindness. It wasn't like he was speaking to her as a teammate, an enemy or a crush like he had in any other interaction she had had with the blonde. He was speaking to her… as a friend.

"I thought you didn't like me…" she spoke, "Why are you trying to help me?"

"Because you're my teammate." Naruto replied, "And… you seem to be ready to bury the hatchet. And if you're ready to let bygones be bygones, then so am I."

Sakura stared up at him, wondering if this was some kind of trick. But there was no lie in his eyes. No deceit, no foul play. Only truth. Like calm, clear blue water.

"Okay then," she answered, "But what exactly do you know about relationships?" somehow, despite her newfound respect for the blonde, she doubted that he knew that much about any human interaction, let alone romance.

"Quite a bit actually." Naruto replied, "Any problem can be solved with simple logic and reasoning. And relationships are no different."

That didn't sound all that romantic to Sakura, but then again, Naruto never seemed like the romantic type. But heck, she knew he was as smart as they come, so some advice wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, what should I do then?"

Naruto adopted a thoughtful look as he answered.

"First, you should stop thinking about this completely from your point of view. Think about Sasuke. What do you really think he would actually want from a girl, and not what the fangirl part of you has been thinking he wants."

Sakura thought about this for a second. It was true. She'd never given any thought to what Sasuke might actually want. Just what the fantasy image of Sasuke would want.

"I… I don't know. I don't know what he would want."

"Well, if you think about the kind of person Sasuke is, it's not that hard to figure out what he would want in any kind of companion, romantic or otherwise." Naruto replied.

"Sasuke… is an avenger. His one goal in life is to kill the man that slaughtered his family. He's not an easy person to get to in terms of a meaningful relationship."

Sakura nodded. He was certainly right about that.

"So then, if the only thing that matters to him is that goal, then you should make yourself out to be something that can help him reach that goal."

Sakura's eyes widened as the realization hit her. Yes… that made sense.

"But… how am I supposed to do that? We all know I'm not a strong shinobi. I'm nowhere close to Sasuke's strength."

Naruto gave a small grin. "Then make yourself strong. Make yourself useful to Sasuke if you want him to notice you. Help him in any way that matters to him. Become his friend Sakura. Only then, will you have a chance to become his lover."

Sakura's eyes widened further. Was… was that it? It… it made sense. Yes… it did make sense. Become his friend… before his lover. Become a friend, a partner, a teammate.

And… for the first time, Sakura smiled to Naruto. As she got to her feet, she bowed. "Thank you."

"No problem." Naruto replied as he nodded to her.

"But, where should I start?"

"Well, you're both still working on that tree climbing exercise. Maybe some competition would do him some good. And you too."

"Are… are you saying… I need to be his… rival?" Sakura asked, her eyes widening. Her? Sasuke's rival?

"Ehh… yes and no. I'm saying that the only way he's going to notice you is if you get stronger. And if you can prove to him that you can be an asset, rather than a detriment, then you'll be on your way. Plus, people like Sasuke need competition in order to fully show their determination, and considering that Kakashi-sensei and I are on a completely different level then him… You're pretty much the only one who fits the bill" He replied, giving her one of his signature grins as he got to his feet.

"See ya!" he said with a wave as he suddenly vanished via shunshin.

Sakura was left to sit there against her tree, thinking about what he had told her. Could she… be Sasuke's rival? A rival was… an opponent. She had always thought herself to be Ino's rival for Sasuke's affection. How could that be the way to open Sasuke's heart? But… then again… Those thoughts had been the ones of her fangirl side. She hadn't considered what Sasuke might think of that. And… now that she thought about it… it actually made sense. Maybe not so much his rival but… his teammate. A partner, a friend.

Sakura smiled to herself. That would solve both her problems in one fell swoop. She could finally become useful, and finally get to Sasuke. Two birds with one stone. All that she needed to do… was to become stronger.

And she knew right where to start. She knew Sasuke was still having trouble with the tree-climbing. Maybe she could start with helping him accomplish that? Prove to him that she wasn't useless.

With that thought, Sakura got to her feet and started walking back to the clearing, unaware of the eyes that were still watching her.

'_Geez. I don't get paid to watch a bunch of kids talk about their love life.'_ The spy thought to himself.

"And just what are you doing here snooping around?" came a voice from behind him, along with a kunai held to his throat.

* * *

Sasuke gave a small sigh as he sat down on a tree stump in the clearing. He had to admit, he was making far more progress now than he ever had. Naruto's training method was working wonders.

The sound of twig snapping broke him from his musings as he glanced to the edge of the clearing to see Sakura.

"Hello, Sasuke." Sakura greeted.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow slightly. She hadn't added the –kun suffix. What was that about?

"Hey Sakura." he replied, trying to seem as indifferent as possible, but there was something… different about the girl. It was subtle, so subtle that if he hadn't known her as long, he probably wouldn't have noticed it, but Sakura had changed in the hour since she had left the clearing to 'go for a walk'.

What it was, and whether it was positive, he couldn't be sure of. Just that it was… different.

"Hey, Sasuke." her question broke him from his thoughts, "Are… you still having trouble with the tree-climbing exercise?"

Sasuke raised one of his eyebrows again in curiosity. It was true, Forge's suggestions had been extremely helpful, and he was finally making actual progress, but he still had a ways to go.

"Yeah, I guess I'm having a little trouble." he replied. What was she playing at? Was this another one of her fangirl plots?

"Well… I was wondering…" Sakura spoke, nearly stuttering as she did. That was odd, she never had any trouble talking to him before or proclaiming her 'undying love for him'. What was up with that?

"…if you needed any help?" she finished.

Sasuke almost scoffed at this at first. Her? Help him? What did she know?

But then again… he remembered how easily she had climbed the tree at first, despite how quickly she tired.

And… he had been wrong about Naruto. Maybe… he had been wrong about Sakura? Could he have been? Could there be more to her then just a mindless fangirl? Ridiculous, he thought at first, but then he remembered Naruto, and how his clone had acted earlier…

"Yeah… I guess I could use some help. What did you have in mind?"

Sakura brightened at his response. "Well, I guess I can help you with your chakra control…"

* * *

In the trees above, unseen by either of the genin, blue eyes watched.

A small smile spread across Naruto's face as he watched. This had gone far better than he had hoped.

"So, did you intend for this to happen?" Naruto glanced to his left to see Kakashi standing there, still on his crutch, with his orange book in hand.

"I suppose I was hoping for something like this. But this is certainly better then what I was hoping."

Kakashi glanced upward as he thought of what Naruto could mean, before giving him an odd look.

"Does that mean you're trying to play matchmaker with those two?"

To this, Naruto only chuckled. "Maybe… I was just seeing if they were ready to bury the hatchet. I guess things just… went from there."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like either of them."

"Meh. I just didn't like their attitude. It they're willing to be friends, then so am I."

"Hm…" Kakashi mused, "But that doesn't answer my other question. Just why would you try to set those two up together. It doesn't seem like you."

"True. But putting those two in a relationship has benefits beyond the initial ones."

"Really? Like what?" Kakashi asked, even though he already had an inkling as to what.

Naruto gave a soft smile. "Something worth fighting for."

"Sakura now has something to strive for. She wants to get stronger, so Sasuke will accept her and so she can help him. And if Sasuke can reciprocate those feelings, he will gain something worth fighting for other than revenge. And as we've seen… having something worth fight for… can give incredible strength."

"Yeah… that it can." Kakashi replied as Naruto vanished in a shunshin, followed by himself, "That it can."

* * *

AN: Behold! Character development!

Like I said in Chapter 13, Sasuke and Sakura are going to become respectable characters. And if you're wondering why Naruto's so willing to be friends with them, remember that the only reason he didn't like them was because they basically didn't like him. As Naruto said, they're ready to bury the hatchet, so he is too.

Oh, and for the last time, I AM NOT MAKING THIS NARUHAKU!! Stop asking if I am/telling me that I should. THIS STORY IS STAYING NARUHINA!! But again, that doesn't mean that Haku won't play a major role/be close to Naruto. They just won't be lovers okay?

Read and Review please!


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XVII**

**Something Worth Dying For**

* * *

In Wave country, though its citizen's had to make the most of the day's sunlight, it was rare to find anyone awake when the sun's light was just starting to shine over the horizon. Hence why the country was silent this Thursday morning. No one was up this early, not even those Konoha ninja.

Or at least, that's what first appearances would suggest.

"_Kadmus Team, what's your status?"_

"_So far so good. Installation Pi is 80 percent complete. We should be finished by eight o'clock."_

"_Copy that. Move on to Site Zeta when you're finished."_

"_Understood sir."_

"_Jango Team, status?"_

"_Forty percent sir. We're still trying to cut through that limestone deposit. That stuff is pretty stubborn." _

"_Copy. We'll send some backup if we can."_

"_Affirmative."_

"_Magus Team, give me a SitRep."_

"_We're just about done here sir. We've got about twenty feet on the last tunnel to go."_

"_Roger that. When you're finished, go support Jango team on Instillation Theta. They're having trouble with some limestone."_

"_Roger that. Magus Team acknowledges."_

"_This is Derak Team. We are engaged with a secret society of rabid chinchillas! Request immediate assistance!"_

"…"

"…_sorry."_

"_No it's okay, we've already got a G.P.W. primed and ready to go."_

"_WHAT?! Uh, no. It's okay. We don't need a Bunker Buster!"_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_YES! Yes we're sure! There are no rabid chinchillas! We're fine here!"_

"_Okay. Glad to hear it."_

As I said; that's what first appearances would suggest.

Naruto yawned as he walked through the woods just outside Tazuna's house. Maybe he should have gotten more sleep last night. Kyuubi's youki may be able to power his body to the point where he could go several days without sleep, but even then he had to deal with some drowsiness, and even a small lapse in concentration could spell disaster.

'_Hey Kyuubi, what's the minimum amount of sleep I can get to stay fully functional with your youki infusions again?'_

'_**Hm? About five hours, give or take thirty minutes or so.'**_

'_Hmm… and I only got about four last night… okay thanks.'_

With that, Naruto cut the link as he walked into a seemingly normal looking clearing. Key word being 'seemingly'.

Walking up to a large oak tree, Naruto closed his eyes.

"_This is the Chief. Confirmation code one-one-seven-zero-zero-Adrock-Roderick-Kadmus-Halo."_

"_Roger that. Confirmation code acknowledged. Welcome back sir."_

Then, seemingly by magic, the ground between him and the tree suddenly seemed to 'drop' several inches before it was pushed back, revealing a rough staircase.

Opening his eyes, Naruto quickly walked down the stairs into a long tunnel. The four clones flanking the bottom of the stairs saluted as he passed, before they turned to space on either side of the staircase, where two large handles protruded. Grabbing the handles, the clones pulled the staircase back into its position, before they worked four jacks which pushed it back up to its original height. Had anyone been watching from above ground, they would have found that the clearing now looked no different than it did before.

Naruto however paid no mind to this as he walked to the end of the tunnel. At the end, the tunnel, already only just big enough to support someone of Naruto's size, dropped down to what appeared to be a small crawl-space, supported only by a multitude of wooden planks, just like the larger tunnel he was now in. The only difference between the passage and a normal crawlspace was the two long pairs of small wooden rails that ran through it, along with the small wooden cart that was on one of the sets of rails, and the long rope that ran all the way down the tunnel attached to it. Another rope was attached to the back of the cart and went around two pulleys to go along the other set of rails.

Laying down on the cart, picked up a small hammer hanging on a hook next to the tunnel entrance and banged twice on the bell next to it, causing a loud ring to travel down the tunnel.

The message having been received, Naruto replaced the hammer just as the rope attached to the cart was pulled along the tracks down the small tunnel. The lighting in the larger tunnel had been sparse, but the lighting in this smaller tunnel was even less. A normal person probably wouldn't be able to see a few feet in the blackness, but Naruto of course could see clearly thanks to his advanced lowlight vision.

Roughly 50 feet down the tunnel, another cart passed him, this one empty, the same rope attached to the front of his cart attached to its back.

Another 50 feet down the tunnel, and Naruto finally reached the end. As the cart exited the crawl-space tunnel into a much larger space, Naruto got to his feet and returned the salute the clone that had been pulling on the rope was giving him, as well as the security clones that were present as well. Walking past them, Naruto passed through the doorway and into their combat information center.

This 'Frontline Base' was integral to their operations in Wave Country. Naruto had first conceived the idea about two months back as a method of quickly creating a base of operations in a hostile combat zone. The Frontline Base consisted of the Command Center, which housed the CIC, at least two barracks, and other things necessary for commanding any large force in the field. Branching out from the Command Center was a tunnel network that could stretch all over the combat zone to other 'Satellite Bases' where forces could be deployed wherever needed, as well as leading to other more specialized facilities. These Frontline Bases were key to any guerrilla operation. They allowed his forces to move undetected all around the combat zone without the enemy's knowledge, and allowed them to strike from virtually anywhere. Wave Country was the first live-fire application of this strategy, and Naruto was certainly impressed by its effectiveness. They had already established over thirty miles of tunnels all across Wave country, though Naruto knew that these were probably the best circumstances he could have hoped for. The soil here in Wave country was ideal for tunnel building. It was a kind of clay that was moist enough from the ocean water that it kept its shape easily, but was still grainy enough that the grunt clones could bore through it like Chouji through his favorite barbecue.

"Welcome back sir." Forge saluted as Naruto entered the room, Scorch and Wedge repeating the gesture.

Nodding, Naruto returned the salute. "How is the operation proceeding?"

"Operation Ghost Wave is on schedule." Forge replied as he led Naruto over to the planning table in the center of the room. The table held a large map of Wave country, as well as several markers for various things, including known enemy troop positions other areas and objects of interest.

"What's the status of the Doomed Spy recruitment?"

"Complete. We now have 37 agents under our command." Forge replied as he handed Naruto a clipboard with several sheets of paper.

"Good. And they've all been implanted with the probes?" Naruto asked as he looked through the papers.

"Of course sir."

The blonde nodded as he finished looking over the reports.

"And the sleeper agents?"

"Already in position sir."

"What about the ambush installations?"

"Total network is still 65 percent complete."

"That's all?" Naruto asked, "Have there been any complications?"

"Yes sir. It seems there are more of those limestone pockets then we first thought."

"I see… How many squads do we have guarding Tazuna?"

"Three squads from Sigma company and two from Theta company."

"And how many are guarding the bridge?"

"Four Theta's and two Sigma's."

"Alright. Divert both Theta company squads and two of the Sigma squads from guarding Tazuna and all of the Theta's and one of the Sigma's from guarding the bridge to assist construction efforts."

"Are you sure that's wise sir?" Forge asked.

"Sasuke and Sakura can guard Tazuna. Zabuza and the Yamakuzure won't make their move until Sunday. Those two can handle any mercs."

Forge nodded, but still seemed unconvinced.

"But even still… assign an extra Sigma squad to watch the bridge, and keep Reaper squad on standby just in case."

"Yes sir." Forge nodded as he saluted.

"Now then, have we gotten any reports back from the Doomed Spies yet?"

"Not yet. We were just contacting the first for an update."

"Good. Let's continue with that shall we?" Naruto replied as he sat down on one of the chairs surrounding the table.

"Yes sir." Forge replied as he sat down as well. Both then closed their eyes as they felt the physical world slip away.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes, the all-encompassing blue and white glow and the generally reality-defying nature of the MDN ignored as he and Forge approached one of the many consoles of this information command center. Around them, many other clones worked the consoles, various pieces of information going along the screens.

"Begin contact with Subject 01." Forge ordered the clone sitting at the console.

"Yes sir." the clone replied as she tapped in a command into the console. Eventually, a voice came over the speaker attached to it.

"_Hey, you guys there?"_

"Yes, we're here." Naruto replied, "Did you give Gato the information we wanted you to?"

"_Yeah yeah. Don't worry, nobody suspects a thing."_

"Good. Now, what can you tell us about Gato's battle plan for Sunday?"

"_I don't really know any specifics. They don't tell us all that much. All I know is that those Yamakuzure guys are going to go after you guys, while that Zabuza guy and his friend takes out the jounin and the bridge builder."_

"Do you know anything about Zabuza or his companion?"

"_Nah. They've been hiding out somewhere. Only Gato and his personal guard know where they are. I heard he was pretty banged up though. I don't know much about his friend, though I heard he's Zabuza's apprentice or something. He pops up from time to time to get supplies. I've never even seen his face, he's always wearing that creepy mask. But from what I heard, he even broke Gato's arm for something. Not a guy to be messing with. Gato's been pretty pissed about it."_

"Really…?" Naruto asked, an possible opportunity showing itself.

"_Yeah. In fact, there's even been a rumor going around that Gato isn't even going to pay Zabuza or his apprentice. That's the other reason he hired the Yamakuzure."_

"He's going to turn on Zabuza?"

"_I don't know for sure. That's just the rumor I heard."_

"Okay. What can you tell us about the Yamakuzure?"

"_Not much, other than that they're a creepy-ass bunch. I ran into one earlier and he looked like he was going to cut me in half just for the hell of it. They're a pretty scary bunch of psychos I'll tell you that."_

"Anything else?" Naruto asked.

"_Well… yeah. There was this one other thing. You're the leader of this bunch right? The blonde one with spiky hair?"_

"Yes…" Naruto replied, unsure of where this man was going.

"_Well… I'm guessing you know that you guys are the reason Gato hired those Iwa-nins right?"_

"Yeah. We know that."

"_Well, they've been acting really wired ever since Gato described you to them. They seem… I don't know… excited I guess. In real creepy way."_

Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he and Forge shared a look, before he turned back to the black screen.

"What did Gato tell them?"

"_Just what you look like and that you're a Konoha ninja. I was there when he met with their leader. He just told him what you looked like, and then they all got this weird look in their eyes. It's almost like they have a grudge against you or something."_

"I see… well, thanks for the intell. We'll contact you again if we need anything else."

"_Right. I need to get back before anyone notices I'm missing."_

With that, the feed cut out. Naruto sighed as he and Forge returned to the real world.

"I was afraid something like this might happen."

* * *

Dark eyes narrowed as he observed his target.

His hands came together in quick signs and symbols, ending on the Tora seal.

He drew in a deep breath.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

Crimson flames erupted from his mouth, forming a massive fireball that shot across the water, obliterating his imaginary target.

Sasuke exhaled. He was getting better at controlling his chakra. While Sakura's suggestions on chakra control had been somewhat helpful with his tree-climbing, learning how to better conserve his chakra while using jutsu had been far more helpful.

Turning around, Sasuke found his new training partner sitting against a tree, giving him an odd look. They had decided to take a break after a few hours today. Sakura's chakra supply may have improved, but it was still nowhere near his. So Sasuke had decided to kill time by practicing his ninjutsu.

"What?" he asked. He hoped she hadn't just been ogling him like she did when he trained near her, though she did seem to be acting very differently then she usually did.

"Oh, well…" Sakura started, again apparently finding difficulty in talking to him, "I was wondering if you could… teach me that one?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Her? The Goukakyuu?

"Are you sure?" he asked, not very convinced. That jutsu was… special to him. After all, it was more or less the Uchiha rite of passage to learn such a technique, that and unlock the Sharingan. He wasn't entirely sure…

"Hey, I've been helping you with your chakra control." Sakura spoke up, "Don't you think you owe me something for that?" An almost indignant look was on her face.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise at that one. Sakura had _never_ talked to him like that. She was acting less and less like a fangirl ever since yesterday. She was acting… he really didn't know how to describe her new demeanor. Yesterday she had been more than a little shy after she had gone for her walk. And once they had started training together again after she had given him some pointers on controlling his chakra, she had almost seemed… competitive in her drive. Like she was trying to last walking up and down the tree as much as he was. And now she was asking him to repay the favor by teaching her a jutsu.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he recalled Forge's presence yesterday. If Forge was there then…

'_Geez. Don't tell me he can cure fangirlism too.'_

But even so, he had to admit that he like this new Sakura a whole lot more than the old one. At least she wasn't oogling him anymore, at least not obviously. And she seemed to be taking her training a lot more seriously.

Sasuke smirked as he answered.

"All right. I guess you have point."

Sakura smiled in return. Honestly, she had no idea what she had been doing after her talk with Naruto yesterday. She had followed his advice and dropped all of her preconceived notions on Sasuke. Granted, that didn't leave her with much, so she just decided to wing it. And really, it had worked out a lot better then she had thought. It was actually a lot easier simply acting like she did around most other people, like giving Sasuke 'special treatment' was harder than simply acting like she normally did.

And now they were not only training together, they were having actual conversations about a few topics. Sakura could only shake her head in disbelief at how easy this was. This would have been a dream come true for her fangirl side, and all she had to do to get it was shove that side away.

"Thanks." she replied as Sasuke started showing her the necessary seals.

The fact that she was getting stronger was an added bonus.

* * *

Naruto's grip tightened on his scimitar as he swung his left arm.

Three Buster clones were bisected by the slice. Twelve more were blown away or shredded by the demonic shockwave.

Glancing to his right, his red eyes noticed several more hurling a barrage of kunai at him. Bringing his right arm back, the blonde snapped his right arm around in a diagonal slice, letting out another shockwave of youki, blowing the barrage of metal away.

Before the knives had even hit the ground, Naruto had turned to face the group, crouched slightly, and shot forward with a blast of demonic chakra from his feet. With a flash, he had shot through the last group, and sliced them all to ribbons.

To the common observer, from blonde had seemingly teleported from his spot to behind the group, which had then all collapsed and poofed in smoke.

Naruto smirked as he looked over his handy work.

"Time?"

"55 seconds sir." Shelk replied as she dropped walked out from behind the trees surrounding the clearing.

The blonde nodded as he felt the youki recede. He was getting better at manipulating his youki. He could fire off shockwaves with greater range, power and accuracy, whereas he could barely get any to work when he first started. Plus he was getting better at his 'Flash Steps' as he was calling the high-speed dashing. The technique was quite simple. He simply shot off a blast of youki from his feet which propelled him forward at near-blinding speed, sort of the shockwave in reverse. Though he hadn't been able to do this with his normal chakra, he was now highly proficient at its use in demon form. Most people wouldn't even be able to see him coming, let alone erect some kind of defense or dodge.

"Sir," Shelk spoke up, breaking Naruto from his thoughts, "we have a visitor."

"Hm?" the blonde followed her gaze to the edge of the clearing, "It seems we do." he replied as he noticed their audience.

"Something I can help you with Tsunami-san?" Naruto asked as he sheathed his swords.

"Oh, yes there is." Their client's daughter seemed broken from some thoughts she had been having. She must have been there for some time Naruto figured. "I need to go into town to get some things, and Sasuke-san and Sakura-san are out training so your teacher said I should come get you."

The blonde gave her a slightly confused look, "You know, you could've just asked any of my clones near the house to set you up with an escort. You didn't have to come all the way out here."

"Oh." the woman replied, "Sorry. I didn't know. I didn't mean to interrupt your training."

"Nah, it's okay. I'm done for now, and I haven't been into town yet, so we can go with you." Naruto replied as he smiled.

"Ah… thank you then." Tsunami gave a small bow of thanks.

"No problem. Shelk," the blonde turned to the blue-haired girl, "get your squad together."

"Yes sir." the clone replied in her normal, monotonous tone.

* * *

"Um… Naruto-san?" Tsunami asked as the small group walked down the road.

"Hm?"

"Just… what was that you were doing back there?"

"Ah, you saw my training huh?"

"Yes… I don't know much about shinobi or what kind of training is common but, is there a reason you looked so…" she trailed off as she tried to find the right words.

"Demonic?" Naruto finished for her.

"Oh well… yeah. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. I was just curious."

"That's okay." the blonde replied. Should he tell her? There wasn't anyone around to hear, and he really didn't care who knew about his juchurriki status unless it put him at a tactical disadvantage in something. He hadn't told Sasuke and Sakura about it simply because it hadn't become needed. He really didn't see any harm in Tsunami knowing, plus he could always omit a few bits.

"To answer your question, I'm not exactly a normal human."

"Wha… What is that supposed to mean?" Tsunami asked, taken aback a little.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I'm not a normal human. I'm what's called a juchurriki."

"…What is that?"

"Well, to answer your question, have you ever heard of the nine bijuu?"

"The bijuu? The tailed beasts? But those are just legends aren't they?" the woman asked, taken even more aback. The nine bijuu were known as legends throughout the elemental countries, the stuff of myth, the kind of things that parents tell their children to keep them quite at night.

"Nope. They're real. And to answer your first question, I've got one sealed up in my stomach."

"…" Tsunami promptly stopped walking, eyes wide, with her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Hellooo" Naruto called out, waving his hand in front of her face.

The motion seemed to snap her out of it as she blinked, seeming to finally digest that bit of information.

"You're… You're joking right?" she asked. It certainly wasn't everyday that someone told you they had a mythical demon lord sealed inside them. Especially with the casualness one might reserve for discussing the weather.

"Nope." Naruto replied nonchalantly. "Besides, do you really find it all that surprising," he continued as he looked to her, eyes suddenly a dark crimson with the pupils elongated into fox-like slits, "all things considered?" he finished with a grin, flashing her a pair of fang-like canines.

Despite feeling more than a little uneasy, Tsunami couldn't help but sweatdrop at the sheer nonchalance he was treating the matter with. If he was being this casual, then it must be true. That and the demonic grin certainly helped.

"Okay then but… why?" she asked, "Why do you have a demon lord inside you?"

"Well… long story short," Naruto began, "we juchurriki are the only known method of controlling the bijuu."

"What do you mean?"

"Throughout our history, the bijuu have been the most powerful beings on the planet. Even the leaders of our hidden villages pale in comparison to the raw power they possess. So of course, people have been trying to harness their power as weapons."

"As weapons?"

"Well, yeah. Think about it. Having a demon lord on your side is certainly going to come in handy in war, and we are shinobi after all. War is what we do best."

"Well… what does this all have to do with you?"

"Ah yes. Well, the only reliable way to control the bijuu that has ever been found was to seal them inside a newborn infant. As the child grew, he or she would be able to control the demon's power as his or her own, eventually, in the best case scenario, having all of the demon's power at their control."

"And you're one of these?"

"Yep. When I was born, our village's leader used a special jutsu to seal a bijuu inside me, thus I've been able to channel some of its power for myself."

"Some of?" Tsunami asked.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I can only control a small fraction of its power right now, certainly enough to give me a good power boost, but not enough to become some roaring engine of destruction."

"Oh. Okay."

"Yeah I know," Naruto replied, "It sure is a lot to take in. By the way, you think you could keep this quiet?"

"Uh… why?" Tsunami asked, not sure what she had just gotten into.

"Well, our village leader has a law against people talking about this. Granted I'm sort of exempt from it, and you're not from our village, but it should save you any unwanted trouble."

"Then… why did you tell me about it?"

"Well, you'd already seen me use it, and I'm pretty sure you can keep quiet about it. You can keep this quiet right?"

"Uh… yeah sure." the woman replied. "Can… we talk about something else now?"

"Sure. How's life?"

Before Tsunami could answer however, a familiar voice came over Naruto's com channel.

"_Sir! We have a problem." _Forge's voice sounded.

"_Report."_

"_One of the doomed spies just called in. About thirty mercs decided to attack Tazuna ahead of time."_

"_Did Gato order this attack?"_

"_No sir. It doesn't appear that way. Sirena just confirmed the force is headed for the bridge."_

"_Are Sakura and Sasuke nearby?"_

"_Negative sir."_

"_Okay then, contact Reaper Squad. Give them the go ahead."_ Naruto replied, a smirk forming on his face.

"_Yes sir."_ Naruto could tell that Forge was smirking too.

* * *

"Come on you all! We're chasing sunset here." Tazuna yelled. In all respects, these men were doing very well, but it still always felt like they never had enough daylight. Even with the clones Naruto had lent them, sunset always seemed to come too fast.

"Hey Tazuna," one of the foremen, Takeshi, spoke up, "don't you think you're pushing them a little too hard? I mean, they're only human."

Tazuna sighed, "Yeah, maybe you're right. But even so, let's see if we can't get the next set of forms finished."

"Sounds good sir. I think-"

Suddenly, a scream from the other end of the job site interrupted them.

"Wha… What was that?" one of the other workers spoke up.

"Trouble." Tazuna answered. "Everyone get to cover." he knew he should too, follow the suggestions Naruto had given him, but he couldn't just leave his men.

So with that thought, he ran off to where the screaming had come from.

What he found there, made him grimace in anger and disgust.

The workers were already running in a panic, away from the horde of mercenaries and ronin stalking along the bridge.

"Well well. What have we here?" the leader, a grizzled man with a face covered in scars, spoke, his lips curled up in a venomous grin. "The leader himself."

Tazuna's scowl deepened as he noticed at least five workers, all hacked to pieces in front of the mercenaries. He already knew these men were monsters… but it never ceased to sicken him seeing their work.

"Hey guys," the leader yelled to the other mercs, "didn't the boss promise a bonus to the ones who brought this guy's head back? Why don't we cash that bonus huh?"

The men behind him cheered, waving their weapons in the air. Tazuna grimaced.

'_Damn it kid. Where the hell are you?'_ the blonde had promised that he'd be protected. So where were him and that army of clones? An army wouldn't do him any good if it wasn't there when he needed it.

"Hey! We heard that there was some giant army of ninjas protecting you ya old geezer." the leader's bloody grin had only widened now. "So where are they huh?" he continued as he and his men stalked forward.

"Where's your _super-ninjas_ now old man? HA HA HA-"

"Right here."

Before the mercenary could do more than register those words, a kunai had embedded itself in the side of his head.

Both Tazuna's, and the other mercenaries' eyes widened as the leader's corpse fell to the ground, then went to the left side of the bridge where it had originated.

"Our apologies for the wait." Fordo spoke in his even tone as he stood on the railing, a smirking Rosso to his right.

The mercenaries staggered back, suddenly not so intimidating. They looked ready to run when…

"And just where do you think you guys are going?" Auel said through her wide grin as she and Nero drew their weapons, blocking the escape path.

The horde was now glancing back and forth between the four shinobi when another presence made itself known.

"I'm sorry," Virgil spoke as he walked up beside Tazuna, zanbatou on his shoulder, "but none of you are leaving this place alive."

"H-Hey look," one of the mercenaries seemed to have regained some confidence, "there's just five of them. And they're just kids too! We can take 'em!"

His comrades seemed to rally to his words as they regained their confidence, brandishing their weapons.

Virgil shook his head. Did they ever learn?

A small tick mark appeared on Auel's temple as she heard the declaration.

"Oh come on! Just how long are these idiot's going to keep underestimating us like this?!"

"What?" Nero drawled, "That just makes them go down more easily."

"Well yeah but…" Auel pouted, "I want some infamy! I want these guy's cowering in our presence you know? I mean we're supposed to be angels of death aren't we? 'ut flumina vitae domandae noster sint' and all that right?"

"Heh. True." Nero chuckled.

"Attack." Fordo spoke as he drew his nodachi and leapt into the middle of the horde, Rosso right behind him. Nero and Auel followed in kind, Virgil as well.

What happened next, would probably haunt Tazuna for a long time. He had seen people die at sword, seen people get arms, legs and even heads chopped off. But this was… a massacre.

The gray-haired one, Virgil, was like some giant golem. Even though he stood shorter than any of his foes, he cleaved them in twain with each swing of his zanbatou.

Auel weaved in and around her foes' strikes like a skilled dancer, her staff lancing out at any foolish to approach her, whether it was beating from a swing or impalement from an expert strike.

Nero was a violent storm of flashing steel, his twin katanas removing arms, limbs and heads with ease as he dodged any attacks with equal ease, and quickly made the perpetrators pay for their assault.

Rosso didn't even need to dodge, her dual bladed sword spinning like some buzz-saw of hell, slicing all around her to bloody ribbons as she leapt around the battlefield.

And finally, there was Fordo, who stalked the battlefield like a ghost. Perhaps the mercenaries were too caught up in being slaughtered by his comrades, or perhaps he simply was a ghost. His nodachi took lives with each swing, whether it was beheading, impalement, or bisection, his strikes were meant for absolute lethality, even more than his comrades.

Tazuna was and the men who had followed him stood agape as the force of 30 mercenaries and ronin, was annihilated in what couldn't have been more than two minutes.

Well, almost annihilated. One mercenary, whether by intent or sheer luck, had been able to escape the melee relatively unharmed, and now lay sprawled on the ground, covered in his comrade's blood, his eyes wide with terror.

He shook even more as the five approached him, also covered in the blood of his fellow mercenaries.

"N…No… S…Stay back!" the man stuttered, trying to reach for a sword, anything to defend himself.

It wasn't just the fact that these five _kids_ had just slaughtered 29 of his comrades, it was how… _indifferent_ they treated it.

Virgil was casually wiping blood off of his armor, as if the only displeasure he got from the encounter was the dirtying of his clothes. Auel still wore a cheery grin, despite her bloodied appearance, as if she found his terror amusing. Nero still looked uncaring and lazy as he wiped the blood off of his sword. And Rosso had a manic grin on her face, as if she had _enjoyed_ the feel of blood, he was even pretty sure she had licked some of it off her face! But most of all, was Fordo's expression, that is to say, no expression at all. His face looked exactly the same as it did when they had arrived, his lips still even, his eyes blank. It was as if this whole encounter had not only failed to faze him, it had failed to _interest_ him. Like he saw such a thing as no more significant then eating breakfast or sleeping. And that, more than anything, terrified this man even more.

"I…I… I'm warning you!" he yelled again as his hand finally found a discarded sword. But right as his fingers touched the weapon, they were no longer his.

Neither was his arm.

"Why do you resist whelp?" Fordo asked, flicking the blood off of his nodachi as the man screamed in pain. The clone had removed his arm without so much as batting an eye. "Why do you fear the inevitable?"

"P…Please…" the man half whimpered, half begged, "d…don't kill me… Please…"

"We're not going to."

The man's eyes widened. Was he… was he going to live?

"We're not going to kill you so you can do something for us."

The man turned to the clone, eyes still wide, but now hopeful.

"An…Anything…" he would do anything. Anything they asked, just so long as they let him live.

Whereas some in his position might smirk evilly at their prey's willingness to submit, Fordo's lips didn't so much as twitch.

"Go back to your master."

"H-Huh?"

"Go back, and tell him what you have seen today. Tell him, and tell others in his employ. Tell them all. Tell him that come Sunday, we will give no quarter. No prisoners. No mercy. We will burn his empire to ash, and grind his army to dust. We shall take all he holds dear, and leave him to rot in a ditch with the dogs. Tell your master… that Death comes to all. And his time has come."

Somehow, the pain from the loss of his arm… didn't seem so significant anymore.

"Do you understand?"

The man nodded quickly.

"Then be gone."

The man was on his feet and running by the time Fordo finished his sentence.

Fordo sighed as he turned back to his team.

"Wow. You _definitely_ inherited the chief's talent for badass speeches." Auel said, her grin never fading.

Fordo only chuckled. "Yes… I guess I did."

The small smile on his face quickly faded as he looked out over the water.

"Our work here is finished. Let's head back."

"Yes sir." came the four-way reply. With that, the special-ops team shunshined away, Auel pausing long enough to look to Tazuna and his still gaping workers.

"Sorry about the mess."

Tazuna wasn't sure what to think of what he just saw. Part of him was glad for their help and protection. The other part was scared stiff of them. One thing was for certain though. The people he had hired… could be just as monstrous as their oppressors, perhaps even more so. Whether that was a good or bad thing, he didn't know.

He hoped it was the first one.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he leaned sat against a tree, feeling the morning dew soak into his clothes slightly. He was deep in the woods, far removed from any of the towns in Wave country. Kakashi and Sasuke had woke him up with their snoring again. Rather than tie their pillows over their faces or give them a nice big air horn blast or put them up on the roof or throw them out in the hall or just toss them out the window like he normally did, he had decided to let them get some rest. It was only seven a.m. after all, and they needed all the sleep they needed for tomorrow.

So now, he figured he'd get maybe another hour of sleep out here. Maybe a quick nap. He wasn't worried about security. He was far from Gato's base, and he had Talon's squad watching a 500 yard perimeter too. That and he did enjoy the peace of the forest. It… helped calm him down.

'_Yeah… just an hour or so. That'd be nice…'_

* * *

Haku really enjoyed going for morning walks like these, and her civilian clothes helped her keep a low profile. The birds singing, the smell of flowers, the morning dew, the enemy ninja sleeping against a tree… wait what?

After a quick double-take, Haku realized that it wasn't her hyper-active imagination acting up again, and the Konoha-nin that had blown Zabuza sky-high with alkaline metals was napping against a tree in front of her.

'_Huh. Didn't see that coming.'_

At this point, Haku had several a few options open to her. The tactical combat pragmatist in her was telling her that she should quietly reach for one of senbon needles she kept in her kimono and stick it right in the kid's jugular. And presto! One less problem to worry about.

However, at the same time, her genre savvy side was telling her that attacking this kid was a very bad idea. First of all, based on what she had seen, this kid was both a fellow combat pragmatist and used kage bunshin to basically create his own personal army. Meaning that it was highly unlikely that he'd be stupid enough to just take a nap in the middle of enemy territory, which meant that there was probably several kage bunshin watching her right now. Heck, for all she knew, he could be a grade-A magnificent bastard, and all this could just be a carefully concealed Xanatos Gambit to lure her out into the open. And, unlike before, she wasn't concealing her scent, so even if she did escape, which they would probably allow her, they could just track her back to the hideout. In other words, attacking was a very bad idea.

So really, the best idea right now would be to just walk away, and not pay him any mind (and hope his clones didn't decide to track her). But at the same time… she didn't want to do that.

This kid… interested her. And she knew exactly why. No, it wasn't some odd attraction based on a sense of shared childhood trauma, or simple hormones (though she did admit he was easy on the eyes). No, it was what she had seen during the battle with Zabuza. The jokes, the randomness, and the pure crazy-awesomeness of using alkaline metals to blow Zabuza two hundred feet in the air. The fact was… she wanted to get to know this kid. She wanted to know what made him tick. Was he simply faking the insanity for tactical superiority, was he simply nuts, or could he just turn his sanity on and off at will like she could?

And besides, it wasn't like getting to know him would give anything away, and maybe she could figure out a few emotional weaknesses too. Something to use against him, if she did end up fighting him tomorrow.

So, with that thought, she walked over to him, deciding on playing the role of the concerned passerby, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He seemed to shrug it off as he muttered something in his sleep.

"Die… milkshake die… You are defeated…"

"Huh?"

"Now you go… to milkshake prison."

Haku raised an eyebrow. Yep, definitely similar to her.

"Can I help you?"

With that, Haku realized that the blonde was not only awake; he was glancing up at her with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Nah, it's no problem." Naruto replied as he checked his watch. 8:30 huh? Well that was a nice enough nap. "I was about done anyway."

"I see. You know, you could catch a cold sleeping out here." Haku spoke, trying to spark up a conversation.

"Hm? Well, I don't get colds."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I have a natural plus-6 frost resistance."

"Ah." Haku replied. Pretending to just notice the headband around his neck she spoke up again, "Are you one of the shinobi from Konoha?"

"Yeah. Name's Naruto Ms…?" he asked as he extended his hand to her.

"Haku," she replied as she shook his hand, and decided to give him a little test. "and just what makes you so sure I'm a girl?" she asked with a knowing grin.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Well, the fact that you look like a girl, sound like a girl and smell like a girl are pretty good indicators."

"But how can you be sure of that?" Haku's grin widened. She always liked getting people with this.

Naruto's eyebrow went higher. "Are… you saying that you're a guy?"

Haku started giggling. "No no… I'm not a guy."

"Oh… okay then…" the blonde was now giving her a very curious look.

"I'm both."

Now Naruto's expression was a combination of mild surprise, pretty weirded out, and just a tad uncomfortable. Which was pretty much confirmed by his next statement.

"What?"

Haku burst out laughing at this. That was about as good of a reaction as she was hoping. "he he he… no. Just kidding. I'm a girl."

Naruto's expression now shifted to one of curiosity and not a small amount of interest. "Okay… and you told me otherwise because…?"

"I wanted to see your reaction. I usually get pretty funny ones."

"Ah…" Naruto now had a small grin on his face and not a small amount of approval on it, "messing with people's head huh?"

"Yep." the girl replied, "Its fun isn't it."

"That it is." the blonde replied, chuckling as he did. He had to admit, he liked this girl, Haku. Even though it was odd how she had come out of the blue like she did. But if she was playing dirty, then…

"So… does that make you a lesbian then?"

Haku's laughter came to an abrupt stop, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Wh…What?"

"Well, you like to go around telling people you're a guy, so wouldn't that say you're more interested in female companionship?"

Haku was now somewhere between shocked and creeped out.

"W-Wait a minute. I don't actually…" her arms were up in a placating manner, trying to carry the point across that her inciting gender confusion had nothing to do with her sexual orientation, until she noticed the evil smirk on Naruto's face.

"So, that makes us even then no?"

Haku stopped once again, her mouth slightly agape again, though for a different reason. This guy had just taken her attempt to mess with his head, and turned it right around and used it on her.

Oh yeah. This guy was good.

"He he. Yeah, I guess it does." she replied with a giggle.

"So what are you doing out here anyway?"

"Oh, well…" Haku looked to the basket she was carrying and decided to come clean on what she was here for. After all, this kid could be good at picking up lies. "A friend of mine is sick and I'm getting some medical herbs."

"Really? You mind if I help?"

Now this got Haku interested. Just what was he playing at?

"Uh, okay, sure. Mind if I ask why?"

"I really don't know that much about medical herbs, so I thought if I tagged along I could learn something."

"Ah. Okay then." Haku replied. Was that his real reason? It seemed like he was telling the truth, but then again, who's to say he didn't have an ulterior motive. He might suspect her already.

Oh well. This would give her a good opportunity to learn about him too.

* * *

"_Chief, are you sure about this? She could be that Hunter-nin for all we know. The way she carries herself proves she has shinobi training."_

"_I know Talon."_ Naruto replied. _"That's why I'm doing this."_

"_What do you mean sir?"_

"_It's possible she was doing recon before she found me. This way, I can distract her from finding anything else."_

"_At the cost of getting to know you? You know how much one can learn about the enemy just be talking to them."_

"_True, but I can use this to our advantage as well. I can learn just as much about her as she can about me. Plus, it's better than her stumbling across one of the ambush installations."_

"_Yeah, I see your point. Well, we'll hang back for now."_

"_Good. Chief out."_

Naruto and Haku had been walking through the woods for about thirty minutes now, and in that time, they had collected several herbs. They hadn't talked about much else though.

"You know…" the blonde started, "I've been wondering about something…"

"What?"

"How do you know so much about medicine? Are you a kunoichi or a med-nin?"

Haku's eyes widened imperceptibly. He'd already noticed. He probably suspected her already.

"No, I'm not. But my father used to be a ninja in Kirigakure. He taught me a bunch of things."

"Used to? Is he a missing-nin?"

"He was. He and my mother died a couple years back."

"Oh. I'm sorry." the blonde nodded in sympathy. Haku smiled softly. Even if it wasn't the whole truth, what happened with her parents was the truth, even if she omitted a few details.

"It's okay. I'm more or less over it. And the things my dad taught me have come in handy."

"I'll bet."

"What about you?" Haku tried to move the topic to concern him. "I heard the Konoha ninja Tazuna hired are pretty strong. Are you?"

At this Naruto glanced upward in contemplation for a moment, before looking back to her.

"Strong enough."

Haku nodded as she smiled. He'd get suspicious if she started asking specifics, so she opted for a different path. She didn't know why she choose that one. Maybe it was simple curiosity on how he would react.

"Okay… but are you truly strong?"

Naruto gave her an odd look. True strength? An intriguing question indeed.

"Well, that depends. What would you define as 'True Strength'?"

Haku raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been expecting that reply, but she knew her answer at least.

"True strength, at least the way I see it, is having something to protect."

"Really? How so?"

"When you have true strength, when you are protecting something you would give your life for…" Haku looked to him with a warm smile, "You can become as strong as you must be."

Naruto glanced upward as he absorbed this information, before smiling as well.

"Something… worth dying for…"

"Yes." Haku replied. It was true. She had pledged her life to Zabuza. She would die to protect him.

"An interesting philosophy. And certainly one that I can relate to."

Haku nodded.

"But it's not quite something that I could follow. Especially in some contexts."

The dark-haired girl quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can understand if you are protecting something bigger then yourself, like a nation of a cause. But a person?" Naruto spoke, not in any kind of spiteful tone, but simply questioning. Wanting to know what her opinion was.

"You don't believe that there are people worth dying for?"

"No. I can understand that there are people you might give your life to protect. But… is that really the best way to protect someone?"

"I don't understand."

"Well, say that you are fighting against an opponent far more powerful then yourself to protect someone you care for. Unless you can somehow channel the power of dues ex machina, you would probably die fighting this opponent. And then, who would be there to protect the one you were fighting for?"

Haku's eyes widened slightly as she thought about this.

"You… do have a point. But even if you died, you at least would be giving the one precious to you a chance to escape. As long as they survived, you would not have died in vain."

"Perhaps…" Naruto replied, "But what about their feelings?"

"What?"

"How do you think your precious person would feel? Knowing that you had died so they could live? Wouldn't they be sad? Wouldn't they be upset that you were gone? Wouldn't they wish that you were still there with them?"

Haku's eyes widened again. That was a good point. How would Zabuza feel if she were to die for him? He had once said that she was his weapon. Would he be sad if his weapon was broken?

"Well, what if your precious person didn't care? What if you life did not mean enough to them that they would mourn your death?"

When Naruto looked to her to reply, Haku was shocked at the look he was giving her. It was no longer a far-seeing gaze of one who ponders the mysteries of the universe. His eyes were hardened, firm, and almost angry?

"If they are like that… then I do not believe they are worthy to be your precious person."

Haku's eyes truly widened at that statement. Never had anyone brought up a thought like that.

"Haku… before you make a decision as important as that, you must ask yourself, is this what you truly want? Is it what your heart desires? Is the person you are dying for really worth dying for?"

"Is… that what you believe as true strength?" Haku replied. Was this it? Was this his definition of true strength?

Naruto looked back to the sky, but his eyes never softened. Instead, they only hardened. This time, with determination.

"Yes. I believe true strength… is courage."

"Courage?"

"The courage to follow your heart. The courage to do what your heart desires, not what masters or society may tell you."

Haku looked on in growing awe as Naruto continued, his voice ringing with conviction.

"And the courage to never stop pushing forward. To never stop following what you believe. To get back up no matter how many times you are knocked down. No one can tell us how to live except ourselves. And no one can ever push us down for good unless we allow it!"

"Not humans."

"Not demons."

"Not even the Gods themselves!"

And with that, Naruto looked to the girl, who suddenly felt very small in his presence, even though they were the same height.

"Our lives are our own Haku. No one else's. Because we… are humans."

Haku stood in awe, in not only the words, but the conviction with which the blonde had spoken them. Not even Zabuza had been able to inspire so much emotion in her.

"That is what I believe."

* * *

The table was quiet as the shinobi and their hosts ate in general silence.

"Well. It's almost time." Sasuke spoke up.

"Yeah." Kakashi answered. "Naruto, are your preparations complete?"

Naruto smirked as he looked to the jounin. "They'll never know what hit 'em sensei."

Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke, Sakura?"

"I think we're ready to take on a few mercs and ronin sensei." Sasuke smirked, an action Sakura mirrored, though she obviously didn't look to Sasuke first this time.

"Good. But Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"I want you and Naruto to take care of that hunter-nin while I deal with Zabuza. I trust you two can handle that?"

Sasuke seemed a little shocked by that declaration. Was Kakashi really putting that much trust in him? But his trepidation was squelched as he noticed Naruto give a simple smirk and thumbs up.

"Don't worry." his lips curled upwards too. "We'll clean her clock."

Kakashi nodded again. "Good. I'm counting on you. All of you."

All three genin nodded in affirmation.

"You know I sure hope you remember that 'WE' Sasuke," Naruto spoke up, "at the rate I'm bailing your ass at of the fire, I'm going to start expecting favors pretty soon."

Sasuke scowled briefly, but recovered quickly, "Oh don't worry about me. I'll have her beat on my own in no time flat." he answered with a smug grin.

"Goody." the blonde replied, "Means I can get on to more important things. Thanks Chicken-butt."

A tick appeared on Sasuke's forehead as he clinched his fork tighter.

"You… know I HATE that name."

"What? It fits you. Your hair looks like a chicken's butt."

"That's not the POINT!" Sasuke growled louder, only to be cut off by Sakura giggling.

"What?! You too?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry." the girl tried to stifle her giggles as she put up her hands, "It's just that… he does have a point."

"Uhg… Traitor." Sasuke sighed in defeat as he hung his head as Sakura finally managed to stop giggling. She never thought she'd see the day when she laughed at Sasuke's expense but… it felt good. To just laugh and joke around with her teammates like this, even on- no, ESPECIALLY on night like tonight.

"Okay Sasuke, how 'bout this." Naruto spoke up again, a knowing smirk on his face.

"What?" the Uchiha looked back up with an annoyed scowl, expecting another joke directed his way.

"I'll leave you alone and concentrate on solely annoying Sakura for a few months-"

"Hey!"

"-Shut up, on one condition."

"What is it?" Sasuke spoke quickly, very hopeful.

"You can live up to your boast on that hunter-nin." the blonde finished with a grin.

Sasuke absorbed that information for a second, before the smug grin returned.

"Deal."

Truthfully, Sasuke was scared, and he knew Sakura was too. This could truly be their last night alive. And really… it felt good to joke around like this. It really was incredible what Naruto could do to the atmosphere. He could turn a cheery one serious and a serious on cheery at the drop of a hat. Kakashi had noticed this to, and he was glad. It helped having someone to lighten the mood when it got too dark and gloomy.

A pity it couldn't last.

"Why…" a small voice came from the doorway, and all looked to see the child standing in it, tears running down his face.

"Why… are you trying so hard?"

"Inari…" Tsunami spoke, trying, however futile, to calm her son.

"Why are you trying so hard when you're just going to get killed?! Anyone who's stood up to Gato has been killed! You can't beat him! Not his army! No one can! You're just going to get killed!"

"We are shinobi." Naruto spoke softly, not even flinching at the boy's loud words. "We face death every day."

"Don't give me that 'we are shinobi' crud you've been spouting!" the boy continued. "You just barge right in acting like you know everything but you don't!"

"You don't know anything about us! You don't know us or what we've been through! You don't know what it's like to suffer… to have those you love taken away from you by monsters… You don't know what it's like to live under monsters!"

Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. If he kept this up…

"You don't know a thing about suffering!"

The instant those words left his mouth, so did all his breath.

It came without warning. No buildup. No hint of its arrival. It came in an instant.

Pure… unadulterated Killing Intent.

No one in the room could move. Tazuna and Tsunami were frozen in place. Sasuke and Sakura too. Even Kakashi couldn't even move his fingers. This KI was so intense, and so sudden, that he had no time to prepare for it. Of course, this was no ordinary killing intent. Kakashi recognized it instantly. The maddening, fear-inducing KI of the Kyuubi.

And Inari… was forced to his knees as all the breath left his lungs. His eyes were wide in fear, and incomprehension, staring at the cause of it all.

The blonde that sat at the table, his eyes closed and his face set in a state of complete calm, belaying the terror inducing aura that swirled around him.

Then, without so much as blinking, Naruto slowly stood up, and walked to the doorway that Inari stood in, his face never changing from its serene state.

Kakashi was shocked that Naruto could channel Kyuubi's chakra to this extent. No… it wasn't just Kyuubi's youki. On the surface, it was undoubtedly Kyuubi's. But… underneath it all… he could sense something… more. An underlying current that he could only glimpse a sliver of. It was… black. A black void of utter darkness… and fear incarnate. It swirled around Naruto, only small slivers, miniscule shadows. But it was enough to prevent Kakashi from even moving. Was Naruto even aware of this?

Naruto's steps seemed to take hours, his footfalls echoing throughout the room. Eventually, he reached Inari… and walked right past him.

But as he stood beside the small child looking up at him, his eyes finally opened.

And Inari felt like his very soul was being pulled from his body.

Naruto's expression was unchanged. But his eyes were. Eyes that were slitted, yet still blue. And yet, darker. A blue darkened by something behind it, buried deep within his soul.

Inari felt like he was staring into the face of the shinigami himself.

And then… he spoke. In a voice that was his and yet… not his. A voice deepened by something greater.

"_**TelL mE… bOy…"**_

"_**HoW mAny tImes HaVe YoU bEeN CRUCIFIED?"**_

And… with those words… the aura lifted. Gone as quickly as it had come.

Tazuna, Tsunami, Sasuke, Sakura and even Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, the former two panting for breath.

Inari didn't move, shock at what he had just experienced and what he had just been told rattling his mind.

And before anyone could stop him, Naruto was walking up the stairs, but not before turning slightly to speak.

"You should all get some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow."

And with that… he was gone.

"_Are the preparations ready?"_

"_Yes sir. Operation Ghost Wave has been completed."_

"_Good." _

* * *

AN: ah… FINALLY. It took a while, but I'm done. I really hadn't thought this one out as much as the previous ones. All I really had at the start was the encounter with Haku and the Inari incident, and I figured I needed another look at the preparations and other things. Plus my computer's been having trouble so that's been a problem, but oh well.

Next chapter should be up much faster. I've got a lot planned for the battle. Believe me, it's gonna be awesome.

On another note, Assassin's Creed 2 is FRICKEN' AWESOME!! Ahem. Nuff said.

And here's an update to the little soundtrack that I came up with.

Reconnaissance (Chapter XV): Under Cover of Night (Halo 1 OST)

S.T.A.H.K.E.R. Theme: Nikopol (Gurren Lagann OST)

Oh and kudos to the one that gets the WW2 movie reference.

Finally, here's a look at a new story that I've been brainstorming for a while now. This is just a teaser/prologue of sorts that I came up with and I'd appreciate it if you tell me what you think. Along with what you thought of the chapter itself. That'd be nice too.

---------------

It was a cold morning. A calm morning. The calm that precedes a storm.

And what a storm it would be.

Atop a bluff on the rolling plains, a lone figure stood.

Dawn had not even broken, the rays of the sun only just spreading over the horizon behind him.

The man was tall, taller than most. His body was lean, yet muscled. The look of a hardened warrior. But his other features were far from commonplace. His skin was pale, almost enough to be called unnatural. His face was angled, hawkish, and if one looked carefully, they might see what might be fangs behind his lips, even in contemplation. Hardened purple eyes pierced the retreating darkness, while long silver hair fluttered in the cold breeze, revealing the elongated ears with pointed tips, further proof that this was no ordinary man.

He didn't so much as shiver in the chilling air.

His clothing also betrayed his profession. He was garbed in elegant silver armor, with a chest piece combined with a dark purple vestment. Over his shoulders were large silver pauldrons, each engraved with a crimson eagle with wings spread. His hands were bare, revealing clawed fingers. Completing the ensemble was a long crimson cape that fell from his neck. Upon this cape was the same symbol of an eagle in flight, though it was golden with blood-red streaks going down its wings, below which was a pair of crossed silver swords which also possessed bloody streaks. Hanging from his left hip was a pair of swords. Both weapons were nearly identical, long, narrow blades with the hilt designed in the likeness of a wolf. The one difference being that one held an ocean blue gemstone in its hilt, while the other's was a bright crimson. Finally, emerging from under the cape behind his right shoulder, was the hilt of a massive claymore, its hilt shaped as an eagle with feathers as black as night.

Even as he stood stock-still, scrutinizing his surroundings like a hawk, the man's pose was one of regality, as if he was born to lead. And born to lead he was.

It was almost time. Soon… the terrible wrongs would be righted.

His musings were broken as he heard the rushing of air behind him.

"My Lord." The man turned to see another man, several years his junior, bowing before him.

"Mark Antony." the man addressed, "Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes my Lord." the man replied. He was young, no more than his early twenties at most. Unlike the man before him, he looked like any other person his age might. Short brown hair, normal skin, and blue eyes that still held a sliver of inexperience and innocence, despite the hardships he had endured. His clothing consisted of an iron chest-piece, greaves, boots and gauntlets, under which he wore a red tunic and leggings. Hanging from his back was a long polearm, it's blade a gleaming silver, while its hilt was a dark crimson.

"All our forces are in position?"

"Yes sir. The Athenians and our men have fully assembled on the front lines. Oberon's forces are in position outside the west flank of the city. The Capulets and the Danes are ready in the north and south."

"And the infiltration teams?"

"Already en route sir. Mercutio's team entered the west sewer twenty minutes ago, and Puck reports that Tybalt's force is just past the city walls."

"Good." the man nodded, "has there been any word on the traitors?"

"Yes. There have been sightings of them atop the palace. Also…"

"What is it?" the man asked, turning to glance at the soldier.

"There have been unconfirmed reports that the Dark Fairy is also within the city."

At this, the edge of the man's lips curled upward slightly into a dark smirk.

"Well… at least we'll be able to send a message to that foul sorcerer."

"Yes My Lord." the young man agreed.

The pale-skinned man paused, observing the scene before him, gazing out at his beloved city, the city that he had been forced to abandon to such foul maggots.

No more.

"Mark Antony."

"Yes sir?"

"Send the signal. We attack now."

"Yes… Lord Octavius." the man replied as he vanished in a swirl of air.

The great General strode forward to the tip of the bluff, then glanced back at the assembled troops. They were ready. He could feel it. They had been ready for all of these years they had been fighting.

It was time.

As great horns sounded across the plains, the silver-haired general drew one of his swords from his hip.

No more would his city be held by these cretins.

Today… Rome would be bathed in blood once again. But this time, it would not be the scarlet blood of its people, but the black blood of its conquerors.

'_Demon Sorcerer of Milan… by dusk… this city shall be ours once again!'_

With that thought, he thrust his sword forward.

"ATTACK!!!"

-------------

I call it 'Shakespeare Ultima'

Read and review (or I'll set the S.T.A.H.K.E.R.'s on you!)


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Naruto"-Normal speaking

'_Naruto'_-Normal thought

"_Naruto"_-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat

'_**Naruto'**_-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_**Naruto"**_-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_naruto'_-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_Naruto"_-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape

"_NARUTO"_-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape

'_nARUTO'_- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape

**Chapter XVIII**

**Crimson Tide Part I**

* * *

It was cold morning in Wave Country.

The air was a deathly calm, like the calm before the storm.

Or at least that's what Naruto thought as he stood atop Tazuna's roof.

The sky was still dark, the first glimmers of sunlight just creeping over the horizon. Naruto glanced at his watch. 7:00 a.m.

Time to move.

"_Forge, Sirena, Cody, Fordo. It's time."_

"_Yes sir."_

Underneath the surface, in the CIC, the four clones nodded to each other from where they stood around the planning table.

"_All forces, Operation Crimson Tide is a go! All forces assume Level 1 Battle-stations!"_

Naruto breathed out a long sigh, closing his eyes as the mental link was cut. To be perfectly honest, he was scared. But not of death. In a way, Naruto had already made peace with death a long time ago. If it came, he would fight tooth and nail against it, but when, or perhaps if, his time came, he would go with dignity. No, what he feared was the unknown. Of the uncertainty. Had they known everything? How did they know Gato didn't have a secret weapon or reinforcements hidden away somewhere? But most of all was the Yamakuzure. Had he judged their strength correctly? Or was he leading his people into a massacre? They trusted him. They would give their lives for him. Follow him into the gates of hell itself. And because of that, along with many other reasons, Naruto refused to waste their lives.

Naruto's face contorted into a grimace as he pushed those thoughts away. Fear and indecision had no place on the battlefield. There was no going back now. Fordo had already delivered their ultimatum. Everyone was counting on them. They had already jumped off the cliff. Now it was time to spread their wings and learn to fly.

And so, Naruto steeled himself. No going back. Only forward. They had done all they could. He just hoped it was enough. But he had to be strong now. No fear. No hesitation. No mercy.

As a strong gust of wind blew past the house, the blonde opened his eyes, dark blue orbs with elongated pupils, hardened with determination and conviction.

And, with his clothes and hair flapping in the air, Naruto's voice sounded on the wind.

"Now we go to war."

* * *

"Haku."

The brunette looked to her door as Zabuza opened it.

"It's time."

The girl nodded as she finished putting on her ninja pouches and grabbed her mask. "Right."

Zabuza nodded back as she followed him to the door of the small house that served as their base.

"You remember the plan?" the older man looked back to her.

Haku nodded. "You'll fight Kakashi while I take care of the genin. And we'll keep the Kirigakure technique up at all costs."

Zabuza nodded in affirmation. They had deduced that the Kirigakure technique must interfere with the blonde's clones, whether in communication or sensory disruption or maybe both. Either way, it would make dealing with the blonde far easier if he didn't have his clones to back him up.

"Okay then. I'm counting on you Haku."

The girl nodded.

"Right. Let's go." with that, he made his way to the front door.

As she followed though, Haku's thoughts went back to yesterday. Of her encounter with the very boy she was about to fight.

_Flashback_

* * *

"That is what I believe."

With that, Naruto turned back to Haku, his face set in an expression of determination… and finality.

Haku stared at the blonde with wide eyes. Then she smiled.

"Wow… that was… something else."

Naruto smiled back. "I figure if you've gotta have a creed, it might as well be a badass one, you know?"

Haku nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." And she had to admit, she was almost expecting something like that from him. This… boy... he was unlike anyone she had ever met. On the surface, he didn't seem very special. Okay, a little quirky- Scratch that- VERY quirky, but no more unique then her. But underneath that… he seemed to be something… more. Something lurking underneath that was far greater than one might expect. Potential maybe? No, that was only part of it. This boy had a drive like none she had ever seen. He might not seem very determined, almost seeming apathetic at times, but no matter how slowly he moved forward, he would never stop. Not for anything. Slow, methodical, and unstoppable. And woe to those who might stand in his way. For some reason, Haku was becoming more and more weary of this kid. Somehow… he didn't seem like an enemy she wanted to have.

"You know, I think you might be the most interesting person I've met."

"I get that a lot." the blonde replied, "though not always with that way of putting it."

Haku chuckled a little as she got his meaning.

"You really believe that don't you?" she spoke again.

"Of course." the blonde gave her a curious look like he found it odd that she doubted his feelings. "Our destinies have been and always will in our own hands. No one else's. And if you can follow what you truly desire, and not what is dictated to you by people, society or what-not, then you are human in the truest since. Or something like that. That's what I think anyway." he finished with a small grin, like he was still working on this speech of his.

Haku smiled back. He certainly was an interesting person.

Not long after that, they had parted ways.

* * *

"_But what about their feelings?"_

"_Wouldn't they be sad? Wouldn't they be upset that you were gone?"_

"_If they are like that… then I do not believe they are worthy to be your precious person."_

Haku felt Naruto's words coming back to her. Was Zabuza… really worth giving her life to protect? Was he worthy? Did she truly desire this?

"Something wrong Haku?"

Haku was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the swordsman address her.

"N…No… Just thinking that's all."

"About what?" she supposed he had a right to be curious. Nothing had ever put her in such a contemplative state before.

"Well… I was wondering… what would you think if I died?"

"Huh?" the former mist-nin raised a non-existent eyebrow in curiosity.

"What if I died in battle, at your side? What would you think?"

"What brought this on?"

"Well, I was just thinking… remembering all the killing we've done, and I remembered just how fleeting our lives can be…"

Zabuza couldn't help but nod slightly. They were ninja after all.

"And I… I was just wondering… would you be sad? If I died?"

Zabuza gave her a curious look, as if he was contemplating his action.

Then he put his hand on her shoulder, and smiled.

"Of course I would. You're my apprentice aren't you?"

Haku's eyes widened as she met her master's eyes, the smile still evident behind the bandages.

"You've been an excellent pupil, and the most reliable companion I could have ever asked for. Why wouldn't I care if you died?"

Haku's shocked expression began to fade, as she began to return the expression.

"And besides, if you died, who'd be there to patch me up eh?"

Haku broke out into a full smile. "Yeah. I guess you'd fall apart pretty quickly." she replied with a chuckle. She was happy. Very happy. It was rare that Zabuza dropped his normal gruff and hard mask and actually joked. If he was, then he was being as truthful as he could.

"Now come on." Zabuza started for the door, "We've got a job to do."

"Right." his apprentice replied, putting on her mask, even as her smile remained. She had her answer.

'_Yes… he is worthy.'_

* * *

Ten years. Ten long years since he had left the ANBU Black Ops.

Ten years since he had become Kakashi Hatake again.

Ten years… of peace. And now he was going right back.

Kakashi grimaced as he looked at the small sealing scroll in his hand.

He wished it had been longer.

But he knew better. He supposed he had always known he couldn't hide it away forever. He was a ninja after all. A warrior, a fighter, a soldier. He could never deny who he really was.

He trusted Naruto and his clones, trusted that they had done and would do all they could. But in his experience, he knew that it was rare that things went according to plan. And if, or perhaps when, things went bad… he had to be ready. Ready to ensure his students got out of this alive… no matter the cost.

So with that thought he pocketed the scroll and surveyed his charges.

Sakura was obviously trying very hard to bury her fear, and she was mostly successful, though he could see that she was still quivering slightly. Sasuke was better off, his face set firmly, though Kakashi could still see the fear in his eyes. Naruto of course, hardly seemed fearful at all, only determined. But even then, Kakashi could still make out twinges of fear on his face and in his eyes. Deep down, he was probably just as scared as his teammates. He was just much better at pushing it all down.

"Is everyone ready?"

Three heads nodded, though Sakura's a bit weakly. Or at least until Sasuke sent her one of his confident smirks. She got a bit better after that. Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask. Before, Sakura had only mimicked or tried to follow Sasuke's lead to try to impress him. Now, he could tell that she was drawing strength from his support. That his confidence in her gave her strength.

"Now, you're all clear on your roles?"

Three heads nodded again. "Sakura will guard Tazuna, you'll take Zabuza while Sasuke and I will take out his apprentice." Naruto spoke.

The jounin nodded in affirmation.

"Good. However, there is one other thing we need to go over." he knelt so he was eye-level with all of them, and his voice dropped to almost a whisper.

"Naruto, I trust that you and your clones can get the job done, but there are still some things I want you all to remember, just in case things go bad."

Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes widened, while Naruto's only hardened.

"If Naruto's clones fail to defeat the Shinku Yamakuzure, I want the three of you to do exactly what I'm about to tell you, is that understood?"

The three genin nodded.

"Fall back. If you can, come back here for Tsunami and Inari, but don't risk it if you're cut off. Lay low until nightfall, then steal a boat and get to the mainland."

"W-What about you sensei?" Sakura almost stammered.

"I'll hold off the Yamakuzure for as long as I can. I am a former ANBU captain so I should be able to keep them busy long enough for you to escape."

"Wait a minute!" Sasuke started, "You're not saying you'll-"

"Sasuke, I am your jounin sensei. That means the survival of you three is my highest priority."

"But… does that really mean…" Sakura trailed off, not wanting to say it.

Kakashi only sighed, then smiled. "I've lived a pretty good life Sakura. And I've lost way too many friends and teammates. I'll be damned if I let anymore of my precious people die because of me."

This time, all three of his genin, even Naruto, were left wide-eyed at his declaration.

"But don't worry. We'll only have to do that if Naruto's clones fail. Which they won't right?" he gave one of his 'eye-smiles' to Naruto, who only grinned back.

"Damn right they won't."

"Right." the jounin nodded, pushing away those thoughts. "Let's go then. Tazuna's probably waiting for us."

The three children nodded back, and followed him into the kitchen where Tazuna was waiting for them.

He would do his best on his own, and hopefully, that's all he would need. He had faith in his students, especially in Naruto. But if it became necessary, he wouldn't hesitate. He would go all out if he had too. If he had to let his inner beast loose… he would. He just hoped his students wouldn't have to see him… like that.

He almost shivered. But he didn't know if it was Kakashi Hatake in unease, or 'Inu' in anticipation.

* * *

There were many times Ryuzaki Asahina had feared for his life.

There was that time he had been mugged by a drunk when he was fourteen. Or that time when he had almost been caught spying on an A-rank missing-nin.

But never had his life been in this much peril. His life hanging by the hand of one man. The bald man that was currently pinning him to a wall with his hand over his windpipe to be more precise. This guy was a frickin' giant! Almost seven feet tall at least! He was one of the Yamakuzure of course, 'Yama' as they called him. Which was certainly a suitable nickname. The guy had a grip like an iron vice!

Behind the bald man was a shorter, though still tall, man wearing a brown leather coat. Katsu Nadare, their leader. Next to him was his second in command, as he remembered, a woman with shoulder-length purple hair and an expression that always seemed either impatient or annoyed. If Ryuzaki was being honest, he'd say that she was pretty hot, though considering what she did to Tamaki a few days ago, he was much happier staying in one piece thank you very much. He had just been glad that the blonde kid hadn't asked him to spy on any of those psychos. He would have been perfectly happy with staying at least a hundred feet from any of them. Unfortunately, this feeling was not mutual.

"Alright then… Asahina-san was it?" Nadare started, speaking in a rough, yet still even tone. Ryuzaki nodded weakly. The brown-haired man seemed to smile slightly at how his subordinate was making this man squirm. "Well, now that we've got your attention," he nodded to the bald man holding him, who promptly dropped Ryuzaki, "we need to ask you a few questions, is that okay?" he bent down in front of the spy so he was just above eyelevel.

Ryuzaki knew he was only acting nice. These guys would kill him if he didn't tell them what they wanted. Hell, they might just kill him anyway. But hopefully they were feeling a little less murderous then usual right now. He really hoped so.

"What do you want to know?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're a spy, so you must have realized what my friends and I are here in this dump for."

Yeah, he knew alright. "You're here for that blonde kid, right?"

All three missing-nins seemed to get a glint of murderous glee in their eyes as he said that.

"Yes… that we are. And you're going to tell us where he is right now. You just came in from one of you scouting runs right? So did he leave with the bridge builder or is he still at the house?"

Ryuzaki swallowed. He had to be _very_ careful. If not, he was dead meat. "Neither. He didn't leave with his team, and he's not in the house."

The missing-nin frowned, obviously not liking the answer, but Ryuzaki wasn't finished. "B-But, I have seen him vanish like that a lot over the past few days. I think he might have a hideout somewhere. If you shadow the house, you may catch him if he tries to move."

Nadare frowned, contemplating the answer. Then… he smiled. A very creepy, very scary smile. "Okay. I believe you. But if it turns out you're lying…"

Ryuzaki suddenly became aware of a katana held to his neck. A _glowing_ katana that was letting off a low hum. A hum not unlike some kind of power saw.

"…I think you'll know what will happen."

With that, the katana stopped humming and Nadare sheathed the weapon in a scabbard on the back on his waist. "Oh and, when you report to Gato, how about just tell him the house is unguarded okay?" When Ryuzaki nodded weakly, his grin only widened. "Let's go Michiko, Yama."

His two subordinates nodded and followed him down the hall towards the exit, leaving Ryuzaki on the floor. The spy swallowed hard as he got to his feet.

He really hoped he had picked the right side in this fight.

* * *

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

At least that's what Sasuke thought.

The four shinobi and their client had made it to the bridge without incident. And that's what was making Sasuke uneasy. He was sure they might be attacked by now. His hand was already hovering near his kunai pouch. Glancing to his female teammate he noticed that she was just as agitated.

Sasuke did his best to swallow his fear. This wasn't the time. It was funny, he was almost shaking in fear, but at the same time he felt… anticipation. He _wanted_ to fight. Wanted to test himself.

"Relax." his sensei's words knocked the Uchiha from his thoughts. He must have noticed him or Sakura. "Agitation won't do you any good. Just keep alert. You'll need everything you've got for this."

Sasuke nodded, and looked ahead as they left the wooded path and approached the bridge, already covered in the morning mist.

As they walked onto the steel and concrete monolith, Kakashi suddenly held out his hand to stop. Sasuke and Sakura glanced to him in confusion, but the jounin only looked to his third student, who stood with his eyes closed. Then, he opened them… and spoke in a soft tone.

"They're here."

Now Sasuke's hand really did go to his equipment pouch as the four shinobi maneuvered around their client. Naruto had already explained what the Kirigakure technique did. How the high concentration of chakra interfered with his communication channels with his clones. It was the reason why he hadn't brought any of them along. 'They'd just be sitting ducks', he had said. That meant they were on their own.

And in truth… Sasuke liked it that way. Last time, he hadn't done anything more than provide fire-support for Naruto and Kakashi. Now… he could fight for himself. He could finally get a measure of how far he had come. And how far he needed to go. And really… Sasuke was always up for a fight.

And so, with one last shiver of anticipation, the young Uchiha steeled himself, let go of his fear, and pulled out a kunai.

He was ready. _They_ were ready.

"_Hehehehehe… Glad you could make it Kakashi…"_

Zabuza's voice sounded through the mist, seemingly from all directions. Sasuke glanced back and forth, watching for any discrepancy. A shadow, an outline, a silhouette, anything.

"_And I see you brought those kids too. I'm glad…"_

"Leave them out of this Zabuza. I'm your opponent remember?" Kakashi spoke, a kunai already drawn.

"_Hmm… You do have a point there. In that case…"_

Kakashi's eyes widened as he heard the familiar sound of air being cut. Leaping forward, he dodged a pair of kunai, then again to dodge another three.

The jounin continued to dodge as more kunai and senbon came at him from multiple directions, though never simultaneously. Kakashi almost grimaced, he knew exactly what Zabuza was playing at. He was trying to lure him away from his genin and Tazuna. Well, that had been the plan, so he followed Zabuza's lead, and leapt further into the mist, quickly leaving his charges' sight.

Sasuke looked to Naruto, and the blonde nodded in affirmation. The two boys then charged forward, while Sakura took up position in front of Tazuna.

As they charged into the mist however, another hail of senbon landed in front of them, causing them to come up short. Directly in front of them landed the fake hunter-nin, more senbon held in her hands.

"My apologies. But I cannot allow you to assist your sensei. Your fight is with me."

"Heh. Fine by me." Sasuke retorted as he drew a second kunai while Naruto drew his swords. It struck him as odd that Naruto hadn't made some snarky comment too.

Deeper in the mist, Kakashi ducked a horizontal slash and sent a kunai into Zabuza's face, only for the missing-nin to dissolve into water.

'_These things are… annoying…'_

"You know something Zabuza?" his hand reached for his headband.

"_Hm?"_

"I've had just about enough of your tricks." he pulled his headband up, revealing his Sharingan.

"_Sharingan again?"_ Zabuza's voice pierced the mist, a low chuckle accompanying it. _"Do you really think that will work on me again? My partner was analyzing your Sharingan the entire time we were fighting last time. The same trick won't work on me twice."_

A small smirk spread across Kakashi's face. "Really? You think you know the Sharingan?" The grin widened slightly.

"You haven't seen half of what this thing can do."

* * *

Inari sat at the kitchen table, his face set in a scowl.

The ninja had left with his grandfather about an hour ago, now the house was empty except for him and his mom.

It didn't make any sense… Why were those ninja doing this? Didn't they know what happened to those who went up against Gato? They died. They always died.

And that one… that blonde one… Inari shivered as he remembered the night before. That… fear. Was that some kind of ninja trick? And his words… was he really a coward? What would Kaiza say?

A crash came from the main room. The crash of a door being kicked in.

Inari jumped up, knocking his chair over as he ran for the doorway, even as fear gripped him. And as he ran into the living room, he froze.

Two men… one wearing an eyepatch, the other's face horribly scarred, both holding swords… he recognized them. They were Gato's men.

And his mom… she was in front of them, trying to talk to them… begging them not to hurt them… they only had vile grins on their faces.

"Well well." the scarred one spoke, noticing him, "if it aien't the runt himself." He pointed to him, his terrible grin widening, as if he had some other vile thing planned. "Hey, Zori, why don't we take the kid too?"

His mother's eyes widened. "NO! I'll go with you! I'll go!"

The scarred one just glanced over to her, one of his eyebrows raised. "Hey lady, I don't think you're in _any_ position to be telling us what to do. After all, two hostages are better than one…"

Her eyes widened again, before she narrowed them, a defiant, desperate look in her eyes. "If you take him… I'll bite my tongue off… I doubt either of you could stop my bleeding, and I'm not much good to you dead aren't I?"

Both the ronins' eyes widened, the scarred one looking angry, while the other grabbed her and spoke in an almost bored tone. "Forget it Waraji. She's good enough. The kid's too much trouble and we don't need him anyway."

The scarred mercenary scowled angrily, but seemed to relent. "Fine."

"Inari… please go hide." his mother smiled, or at least tried to smile. "Don't worry… your mommy's going to be fine." he could tell she didn't believe her own words.

Tears began to stream down his face.

Why…?

Why was this happening…?

Again…?

He was still so useless… so weak. He can't even defend his own mama, when she most needed him. If not for his cowardliness, she might still be free, instead of being taken hostage by Gato's sword wielding thugs. Was this what that ninja had meant? Even his mom was defiant. He was just… a coward.

_Everyone else is so strong… so awesome…_The small boy thought sadly as the faces of his family and the ninjas resurfaced. His grandpa, Tazuna, who wanted to restore the Wave country, even at the risk of death… Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto… Even though the battle against Gato is something they did not need to concern themselves, these shinobi of leaf nevertheless spited the evil that threatened Wave. These people… they were so strong… because they fought not for personal gains… but to defend an ideal.

No… he wouldn't run away…

He wouldn't let them…

He wouldn't let them take his mom too…

And so, even as tears streamed down his face, Inari's fists clinched, and he charged them. He didn't think about what would happen. He just… reacted. All the anger, all the sorrow, everything he had felt since Kaiza had been taken from them… all of it was boiling over. He didn't care. He just wanted to make them pay.

Tsunami's eyes widened as she saw her son running, charged towards them.

"INARI! NO! DON'T!!"

The scarred man, Waraji, curled his lips upward in sadistic glee.

"What the hell, I'll kill him." he reached for his sword.

Inari came up short as the man's arm suddenly spun around, knocking his small form aside, leaving him sprawled on the floor, the stinging pain almost unbearable. The boy's eyes widened. What was he thinking?

"No!" his mother screamed in fear, "Don't hurt him! If you do I'll-" she was cut off as the one with the eyepatch blocked her mouth with his leather gauntleted arm, preventing her from speaking, or biting.

"Just kill the runt already and let's get going."

"Oh I intend to." the scarred man stalked towards Inari, still lying on the floor, looking up at him in terror.

Why… why was he so weak… why couldn't he do anything…

The man drew his sword.

Why couldn't he be strong? Like those ninja? Like Grandpa? Like… like his dad?

The sword was raised high.

Why was he so… pathetic?

A sound echoed through the house, all pausing at it. The sound of a boot striking wood.

Then another. And another. The sound of someone walking down the stairs, not in any rush, just simply walking down the steps.

All eyes turned to the stairs, to the figure that seemed oblivious to their matters. Inari's and Tsunami's eyes widened at the familiar head of spiky blonde hair and the black and orange jacket.

The mercenaries looked on in confusion as Naruto stepped off the last step and turned to face them, hunched over, hands in his pockets, looking bored. Like he didn't realize they were even there, or they weren't of any significance.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!" the scarred man shouted, angry that someone had the gall to interrupt him.

"Geez." the blonde drawled lazily, "do you have any idea how loud you're being? There's a thing called 'inside voices' you know." he scratched the side of his head absently, like he had just woken up from a nap.

The mercenary standing over Inari growled angrily. "I asked you a question runt! Now tell me who you are before I decide to gut you too!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, before he stood up to his full height, and smiled.

"Oh me? I'm one of the big damn heroes."

"Huh?" Waraji raised his eyebrows in confusion. Then he noticed something.

The blonde's right hand was no longer in his pocket, instead held outward. And Zori now had a kunai sticking out of his throat, while the mercenary was choking on his own blood.

Normally, Waraji would've recoiled at the sight, then maybe charged the kid in terror-induced rage. But Waraji found that he couldn't. Probably due to the kunai that had just lodged itself in his temple. Of course he wasn't really finding anything thing, considering that he was dead.

Naruto's carefree smile never left his face.

Tsunami didn't move, frozen to the spot even as the mercenary holding her dropped dead. Inari just stared, stared at the boy who had put the fear of death in him just twelve hours ago, and now had now taken lives with naught but a flick of his wrists.

And now… this boy was walking towards him. Calmly, leisurely, like those two men hadn't meant anything. Like they had been… an annoyance.

Then he knelt in front of where he lay, more at eye level. He cocked his head in what seemed like curiosity.

"So, are you done being scared?"

Inari stared. What did he mean?

Naruto gestured to the two dead men. "You know there's not much to these guys. There's nothing magical about 'em. Just a bunch a thugs with swords."

His smile turned mischievous as he leaned in closer. "You know why Gato steps on you people, incites fear and terror and all that?"

Inari stayed silent, but shook his head. He didn't know what the blonde was getting at.

Naruto's grin grew. "It's because he's afraid of you. He's afraid of what you can accomplish."

"Wha…" Inari stammered, incredibly confused. "But… I can't do anything… you saw them…"

"Well of course." Naruto agreed, "But you're not alone, are you?"

The boy's eyes widened.

"Yes. Gato might have an army. But so do you."

"All those that suffer under him… if they were all to rise up… Gato would be crushed."

Inari continued to stare, realization dawning on him. What Kaiza was trying to do…

"They just need someone to call to them. Someone to rally all the starving and suffering masses. Someone to say that they have suffered long enough."

It was then, that Inari remembered the feeling. What he had just felt when those men had tried to take his mother away. That drive… that determination welled up inside him… and the fire returned to his eyes… He knew. He knew what Kaiza was trying to do.

"Now then," Naruto smile turned into a cocky smirk, "are you ready to finish what your father started?"

The boy got to his feet, facing the ninja that he had once condemned as a fool, and gave a hard nod, his face steeled into conviction and determination.

And with that, he ran out the door.

Naruto gave a soft smile as he got to his feet, watching the boy leave.

"Did you plan this?" Tsunami asked as she approached him, her eyes still following her son. She had recovered quickly enough, and had stood by while the blonde ninja had instilled a new purpose in her son. She was a bit concerned for him, but in truth, she couldn't be happier.

"Mm… Sort of." the blonde replied, "I figured Gato would try something like this, so I stayed behind to take advantage of it. Oh, and keep you two from getting killed. That too."

Tsunami resisted the sweatdrop that threatened to fall at that comment.

"But… do you really think we can do it? Overthrow Gato?"

"Sure. And it's not like you'll be alone. You'll have my people backing you up. And besides," Naruto paused as he adopted a thoughtful look, Tsunami looked to him.

"Freedom's all the sweeter when you earn it yourself." he flashed her a warm grin.

Tsunami paused for a moment, then returned it. "Yes… I suppose you have a point."

"Yep. Now all this life-changing inspirement has been fun and all, but I have places to be and asses to kick. Excuse me."

With that remark, he was sprinting out the door, leaping into the trees as cleared the house.

* * *

Sasuke grinned triumphantly as he caught Zabuza's apprentice in the shoulder with his kunai… which then turned to a scowl as the masked girl melted into water.

This was getting annoying.

He and Naruto had been fighting off these water clones for what had to be ten minutes now. Neither of them were getting tired, and it was obvious that their opponent wasn't either. She was just toying with them. Playing with them.

It was insulting.

He had been training for this fight every day for the past week, and this girl was just messing with him?! He was broken from his musings as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Another water clone charged him, only to be sliced in half by Naruto.

That was the other thing. The blonde had been oddly quiet ever since they had started. No quips, or insults. Not even a taunt at the enemy like he usually did when they sparred.

But noticing the blonde reminded Sasuke of something. Don't take things at face value. What was she gaining by dragging this fight out? It wasn't like she was trying to wear them down, so why was she doing this?

Was she stalling? Buying time for something?

If so… for what? Could she be preparing a jutsu in there? No… if that was the case she would've used it already. No jutsu would take this long to prepare. So why then?

"Oi!" Sasuke yelled out into the mist, "stop playing around and fight us already!"

"_My apologies,"_ that same calm, almost serene, tone echoed out of the mist, _"but you two don't seem to be taking this fight seriously. So I don't see why I should either."_

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in confusion. What? What did she mean they weren't taking the fight seriously? Did she think they were holding back or something?

"What?! Of course we're taking this fight seriously!"

"_Really?"_ the voice echoed again, that same calm that Sasuke found really annoying. Why couldn't he keep his cool that well?! _"Do you want me to take this fight seriously?"_

"Yes!" Sasuke yelled back. He wanted a fight. He wanted to put his training to good use. He still had his pride to uphold. He was an Uchiha dammit!

"_Well then, I suppose I'll have to oblige you then."_

Sasuke grinned. Yes… this is what he'd been waiting for. Now he and Naruto could-

The Uchiha was broken from his thoughts as he noticed the blonde fall to the ground, a senbon needle embedded in his neck, before he 'poofed' into smoke.

"I just thought that since your friend only sent a clone in his place, that he wasn't serious about fighting me." the girl spoke as she strolled out of the mist.

Sasuke blinked.

He blinked again.

And again.

Then he groaned.

"God dammit Naruto." Of course. The dobe had to leave him with a clone for backup while he did kami knows what. Thanks Naruto. Thanks a bunch.

"So, are you still serious?"

Sasuke sighed. Then he grinned.

"Hell yeah."

With that he hurled his kunai at the girl.

* * *

Meanwhile, several miles away, the blonde sped through the forest, the trees reduced to a greenish blur.

It wouldn't be that much longer now.

The sound of incoming kunai broke him from his thoughts.

Twisting his body, the boy dodged the incoming projectiles, only for the tree he was approaching to suddenly explode. It was only through some expert footwork that he was able to bounce off one of the hunks of wood and land on another tree.

He turned around to where a dark chuckle was coming, and his eyes hardened.

Katsu Nadare's chuckling only increased, a crazed grin on his face, a look mimicked by his subordinates who flanked him. They had him right where they wanted him.

"Hello _boy_," he sneered, "We've been looking all over for you."

"Have you now?" the blonde replied, even as he glanced around for any reinforcements.

"Yes." Nadare's grin had only widened, "Now… you have to die."

"Really?" the boy's tone was even, unmarred by fear or even anxiety. But the stone-nins didn't seem to notice.

"Indeed." With that, the former Iwa jounin hurled a pair of shuriken at the blonde.

Naruto quickly dodged, and without another word, sped off again.

"Come on. He won't get far." Nadare's grin didn't falter. In truth, he liked it when his prey ran. He had always enjoyed the hunt.

They were after him in a flash, hurling kunai and shuriken occasionally to keep him on edge.

The kid was good at dodging, Nadare would give him that. There intell had been specific that the child was good at evasion.

'_You won't get far. I've been waiting far too long for this.'_

Naruto was suddenly enveloped in a large cloud of smoke, out of which came himself and four copies, splitting off in different directions.

Nadare rolled his eyes. Did he really think that would work?

"Michicko, Yama, go after the ones on the left and right. I've got the center." the two jounin nodded, and sped off in pursuit, Michiko after the two clones going to the right, while Yama went after the ones going left. Nadare stayed on the center one.

The boy was truly as much of a fool as his sources said if he thought this would be enough. Kage Bunshin were easy to dispel, and once they did, it would be easy for them to single out the real one.

But then… the blonde in front of him suddenly picked up speed.

Was this the real one? Yes… it had to be. No clone could move this fast. He must really be desperate… Perfect.

The blonde sped on, until finally, something strange happened. He shot out of the trees and into the center of a large clearing.

The Iwa nukenin raised an eyebrow. Was he trying to make some kind of last stand? Or was this some kind of trap?

No matter. He would not be denied his glory… and his revenge.

And so, Nadare charged out of the trees, landing on the edge of the clearing.

"Are you done running brat?"

"Yes." came the reply from the boy in front of him, his back still turned.

"Good." his dark grin returned in full force. Now it was time for his secret weapon. "I've been waiting a long time for this… Namikaze."

The blonde only stood, like there was nothing special about the man's declaration.

That was odd. According to their intell, the boy had never been told of his heritage. Did he already know?

"I must apologize then." the blonde spoke, his voice quiet, composed, unlike what the report had said about him.

"For what?" Nadare's eyebrow rose in mild confusion. What was this boy playing at?

"I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."

Before the jounin could wonder what the hell the blonde was talking about, the boy spun around, hurling a massive Fuma Shuriken at him. Nadare reacted instantly, leaping out of the way. But right as the weapon sped past him, it exploded, knocking the jounin away further. As he landed though, he noticed something. The boy in front of him had changed. He was wearing a long cloak, and the two swords on his back were gone, replaced by a single nodachi in his right hand. And his hair was no longer blonde, but a dull silver.

"The Chief doesn't have time to deal with the likes of you." Fordo spoke evenly as he assumed his fighting stance.

"I am your opponent."

* * *

AN: Have you ever had the feeling like the universe somehow hates your guts? Well that's how I've been feeling, at least concerning my computer. I lost this chapter a grand total of three times in the past two months. If it weren't so vital to my existence, I'd probably hate this thing right now. Well, I've gotten it fixed (FINALLY!!), so I should be able to get Chapter 19 up in a decent amount of time, I'm thinking probably about a month, maybe a little more.

Now, on to other matters.

I know I said I'd be wrapping up the wave arc this chapter, but seeing how long it was taking, I decided to update now. I'll be able to wrap up the battle next chapter.

Also, I've done a bit of rewriting on the story, if you noticed. And yes, I did change Nephilum's name to Varsee. And yes, it is a retcon. To elaborate, I first came up with this the persona's before I had any knowledge of Latin, and since I'm using Latin phrases now, it really seems like a critical research failure, so rectifying that issue was something I had to take care of.

Anything else…? Oh yeah. MASS EFFECT 2 IS FRICKING AWESOME!!! Ahem. But seriously, that has to be the best game I've playing since Assassin's Creed 2. Bioware continues to be one of the best. In fact, I might be posting a Mass Effect story soon if I can. Could be fun to write.

And on a final note, an omake. (and yes. I do love DBZ Abridged)

* * *

Thought Congress: Part 1

Naruto's eyes narrowed in contemplation as he sat on a stump. He had just heard from Forge that Sakura had left the training area to go for a walk. The question was, what course of action should he take? Should he confront them both, see if they were ready to bury the hatchet and be friends? Or simply leave them to wallow in failure? Which path should he choose?

Deep inside the blonde's psyche however, Antharos groaned. He hated times like this. It was time for thought debating. He and the other four personas were currently walking down a small hallway, another manifestation of the blonde's thought processes. Antharos tugged slightly at his tie, part of the very formal business attire that he and his companions were wearing. Why did they have these again? Oh yeah, because Naruto had the weirdest way of decision making.

Stopping at a large, furnished wood door, Antharos sighed. Might as well get this over with.

He pushed the door open and the five personas filed out into a massive room. The entire room was a massive rotunda, and could probably fit the entire Hokage tower in it. And it was full of arguing idiots.

Sound carried extremely well in here, which meant that the yelling that was going on between approximately fifteen-hundred 'thought delegates' was near deafening. The other half were either sleeping, doodling or watching the others argue.

The five core personas took their seats at the elevated desks/stands in the center, all of it very fancy carved wood, much like a room were similar political debates were waged in the real world in times past. Zechs was sitting in the central, and highest, stand (he was the only one who ever really did much of the order making, the others were there just to keep a presence) while Antharos and Xenos were in the slightly lower stands flanking him, with Varsee and Drak in the still slightly lower stands flanking them.

Still arguing.

Seriously, why did Naruto need to organize his thoughts like this? Every time he was making an important decision (or possibly mundane decision in some cases), they had to go through this. Sometimes it took hours (in mindscape time anyway) for these idiots to agree on something.

"Order! Order!!" Zechs was repeatedly banging his gavel (he liked those things) to get everyone's attention (not that he could ever get any more than a semblance of either).

Oh well. At least the chair was really nice and comfy. Big plushy, velvet armchair. And this was one kick-ass desk. Mahogany as he recalled. Antharos ran his hand over the smooth, polished wood. Mahogany…

"Order!! I said ORDER!!" still nothing.

Mahogany…

Zechs seemed to have just about enough of everyone ignoring him, so he raised his stylish wooden hammer high and hurled it like a missile, flying about halfway up the stands and embedding in the skull of the Eat Pie delegate.

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"

Mahogany…

That seemed to get everyone's attention, because everyone sat down and was quiet (except the Eat Pie delegate, who fell to the floor twitching slightly from the polished wooden hammer embedded in his frontal lobe. Shame to waste a hammer like that).

Satisfied, Zechs sat back down, regaining his calm and controlled demeanor. Reaching for a ream of papers, he started reading.

"Now, today's agenda is to decide our actions on the topic of what to do about Sasuke and Sakura. We've put off this decision for far too long (read: couldn't get these idiots to agree), and it's time we put it to bed."

The Eat Pie delegate twitched some more.

"And Eat Pie delegate, I'll be expecting that hammer back. And don't drip any blood on the carpet, we just got it cleaned." The carpet was pretty cool too. Hell, this whole room was pretty kick-ass, it was just the people in it he couldn't stand.

Did I mention the Mahogany?

* * *

Read and Review (for the Mahogany)


	20. Chapter 19 IMPORTANT NOTE

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE**

**PLEASE READ**

Yes, it's been a while. Way too long in fact.

And unfortunately I'm going to be disappointing a lot of you.

Not as bad as you're probably thinking. I haven't abandoned this story or fanfiction in general. It's just that I've been inactive for so long that it's given me a chance to look back on my work and realize that I have quite a few problems, as well as come up with many new great ideas.

The point being that I'm doing a major reorganization and reformatting of my current and future work here on .

This means that this story will be undergoing an extensive rewrite. I've realized that I have a whole lot of unnecessary plot element that really don't fit with the overall narrative. Specifically the 'multiple personalities' thing I was doing. Sure it was good for a laugh, but that's pretty much all it was good for. I had some ideas for other ways to utilize them, but they no longer fit in with the major focus I'm going for now (that is, Naruto and his clone army). Also, I'm going to be putting a new title for the story as well, considering the 'Roku' bit referred to the personas. But apart from that, I'm mostly going to be ironing out the kinks, getting better development for Sasuke and Sakura early on and other things. Naruto's still going to be the crazy hybrid of Nougami Neuro, Shinji Ikari from the Shinji40k continuity, Nara Shikamaru, Delirium of the Endless, Kamina, and Asura (whoever made the TvTropes page for this story, you are awesome. Thank you).

As for the fate of my other works, please refer to the new update on my Profile.

Finally, since you've all been waiting so long and I'd feel bad if I didn't give you something, here is the incomplete version of Chapter 19. It probably won't be subject to much revision, so this is pretty much how the battle is going to go. Be warned, this is 'incomplete' so there are missing scenes that I haven't written. But I do have the major highlights of the battle, so enjoy.

Also be sure to check the end of the chapter for another Authors Note with a little side project I'll be adding to future works.

**Chapter X****IX**

**Crimson Tide Part I****I**

The streets of Minato, the largest town in Wave country, were quiet. Just like they had been for almost ten years.

So it was odd to many to see the small boy running down the streets, running up to houses, banging on doors for people to come out. And when people did, they were even more shocked to find the boy giving them impassioned words to grab whatever weapons they could. That they were fighting Gato's men. Had it been anyone else, at any other time, they wouldn't have paid it any heed.

But it wasn't just anyone. It was Inari. Tazuna's grandson, and the would-be son of the only man to ever stand against Gato. The only one who ever had the courage to say no. And now… the boy who had in many ways been that man's son was doing exactly what he had once done.

And the timing couldn't have been better. The bridge, which Kaiza and now Tazuna promised would free them from Gato's oppression was nearly completed. And there were rumors, rumors that the shinobi Tazuna had hired had already killed many of Tazuna's men. Perhaps… perhaps that evil man wasn't as mighty as he wanted everyone to think he was.

And so… the people of Wave country began to stir. Word of the Inari's call to arms spread like wildfire, faster then one would think was possible. Like word was being spread on a strange wind. Regardless, more and more people heard. Some were reluctant at first, not knowing what to think. But others… they had obviously had enough. Many rose at first hearing this, as if the thought of that boy calling for their aid was enough to remind them of their hatred for Gato, and those people soon inspired those who seemed reluctant.

And so, for the first time in nearly ten years, there was hope in the minds of the people of Wave. That they would finally be able to take their country back.

"_Commander, stage 4 is progressing as planned."_

"_Copy that. Initiate stage 5."_

"_Roger that sir."_

Sasuke growled in frustration as he dodged a pair of senbon, flinging a kunai in response. Of course, he heard no sound, apart from the distant sound of the knife landing in the water under the bridge.

This was not working.

They had been at this for almost ten minutes now, and Sasuke was very annoyed at Zabuza's apprentice. All she would do is stalk about from the cover of the mist, launching senbon at him, and moving away to prevent him from retaliating. She must have realized that his forte was in taijutsu, and was purposefully keeping her distance. Thankfully, this had to mean that she wasn't as good in close-quarters, so if he could get her in close, he might be able to take her down easily. Unfortunately, her entire strategy seemed to be designed to keep that from happening. He had already taken a few senbon to the arms, though not to any pressure points thankfully. The least he had been able to do was to keep moving about. Those senbon might hurt like hell, but so long as they didn't hit a pressure point, eye or some other vital target, he was fine.

However, dodging was about all he could do. She had the tactical advantage here, and there wasn't much more he could do on his own.

So just where the hell was Naruto? By now he probably would have come up with some ridiculous yet brilliant plan to take her down, or at the very least blown her away with one of his many explosive weapons (seriously, he enjoyed explosions _way_ to much).

Sasuke couldn't help but shake his head at that thought. Since when had he come to rely on the blonde's assistance? A month ago, he probably would have still thought he could handle this on his own. But the truth was, he knew how much of an asset Naruto, hell, any help, could be. He was starting to see Kakashi-sensei's point about needing teammates.

An incoming senbon knocked Sasuke back to reality, causing him to drop into to the ground.

And of course, right when he was starting to appreciate Naruto's help, the blonde is nowhere to be found!

"_Are you really so set on continuing the fight?"_ the girl's voice echoed through the mist again. _"You are obviously at a grave disadvantage."_

His lips curled into a scowl at that. "So what? You think I'm gonna quite just because you have some cheap advantage? Do I look like a coward?" He had a policy on backing down from fights. Don't. Even if the odds were stacked against him, he'd still keep trying. This was just another test, another trial on the long road that led to his brother. There was no way in hell he was giving up.

From within the mist, Haku observed her foe. He was determined, that much was so. But he was still below her skill level. In truth, part of her had been hoping that Naruto would show up, to see how well he would fare against her. But he hadn't.

"_Very well,"_ she replied, projecting her voice with chakra. _"If you really want me to take you seriously then-"_

"FOR THE FERRET!"

"_Huh?"_

Charging down the bridge, seemingly heedless of the blinding fog surrounding them, were five black-and-orange clad blondes waving their swords in the air wildly.

Okay… though to her credit, she noticed that the boy she had been fighting seemed equally confused.

Oh right, now she remembered what had happened with Zabuza and the fish. He was trying to distract her with clones. Maybe the clones would get close enough to her so that they might explode? Taking her down in the process?

A cunning plan to be sure, but if there was one thing Haku was good at, it was reading people, and they way they thought. She had already seen Naruto fight once before, and had even gotten a chance to talk to him. She could see through such a double-layered plan. So, with a flick of her wrists, she sent five senbon into the clones. The chakra constructs disappeared instantly in clouds of smoke. Okay, now where was the real one?

That was when the roundhouse kick impacted her head, sending her flying.

Only just managing to regain her bearings, Haku was able to land in a crouch… and draw a pair of kunai in time to intercept the two swords coming at her.

"Hiiii" Haku looked up to see Naruto's face rather uncomfortably close to her own, and a very creepy grin on it. Then he planted his boot in her stomach and sent her flying again, diving after her before bisecting her with his sword. Of course, she turned into water, so that was a bit of a moot point.

Deeper in the mist, Haku panted slightly as she tried to get her bearings. That had been a close one. If she taken an instant longer to switch with her water clone…

She'd underestimated the Konoha-nin, that much was certain. But… just how did he know where she was?

"Sooo~… what's up Chicken-butt?" Sasuke glanced up to see Naruto offering him a hand, that familiar grin on his face.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes as he got up on his own. "Not much. What took you?"

The blonde shrugged. "Complications arose, ensued, and were dealt with. What, were you actually having trouble? I thought you said you could handle this." his head cocked to the left in a knowing look.

"Pbff. Against her?" Sasuke gave his smug grin in return. "I was just waiting for you to show up so Kakashi wouldn't chew us out for not 'working as a team' or something like that."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure." As he looked in the general direction that he had thrown Haku, his expression turned serious. "So, what are we dealing with here?"

Sasuke's grin dropped as well. "Not much you don't know already. She stays in the mist, and hurls needles. If I ever get too close, she just switches with a clone." he tried pulling a few needles out of his arm, grimacing briefly at the pain. "It's _very_ annoying."

"And painful I'd imagine."

"-sigh- Yes. That too. So do you have a plan or what?"

"Yeah… I think so."

"…"

"…"

"…care to tell me?"

"Maybe…"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "…Please?"

"There you go! Now listen carefully…"

Kakashi's mismatched eyes scanned his surroundings.

"_Do you really think a fancy eye is going to make any difference Kakashi?"_ Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist. _"You're far from the first Sharingan wielder to fall prey to this technique."_

"Why don't you come out here and find out?" the jounin retorted.

"_Hm… a tempting offer."_

Within the mist, Zabuza watched the Konoha-nin, curious as to what he could be talking about. This was the most powerful version of the Kirigakure technique, and had been specifically designed to combat doujutsus like the Sharingan and Byakugan. But then again, this was 'Sharingan Kakashi'. A man heralded as being more skilled with the doujutsu then many of the Uchiha had been. What was he plotting?

"Well then," the jounin spoke to himself as he brought his hands into a seal, "Let's see what you got, monkey boy."

With that, seven clones formed out of water around him. Drawing their swords, the clones rushed Kakashi from all sides. Drawing his own weapon, Zabuza joined them. Even without the mist, an attack like this wouldn't be easy to dodge, and with their footsteps being muffled with chakra, there was no way the jounin would hear them coming either.

Zabuza smirked as he watched Kakashi glance around. The man was still clueless.

He was finished.

Then… the jounin smiled.

'_What the…'_

Then, like a jack-rabbit on steroids, Kakashi shot into the air with a chakra enhanced leap, dodging all of incoming swords. Then, with a flash of his hands, he had hurled a kunai downwards, his free hand held in a seal.

"Ninpo: Kunai Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

The single knife became dozens in an instant, shredding the water clones and forcing Zabuza himself to leap back into the safety of the mist, sporting a few cuts himself.

'_What the hell was that?'_ how did that bastard see him coming? Nobody had ever seen through this technique, not even Sharingan users.

The missing-nin scowled. It had to be a fluke, a stroke of luck. There was no way he had seen through the technique.

Kakashi landed back on the ground, his lips still curled upward, visible even under the mask, in that confident grin.

Oh, he was mocking him alright! Mocking him like the monkey he was! Zabuza raised his sword. Well there was no way the same trick would work twice! And with that thought, Zabuza leapt high into the air, coming down on Kakashi with a massive hammer-blow from his sword. There was no way he'd see _this_ coming!

But apparently, he did.

Right as the sword fell, Kakashi jumped backwards, out of harms way.

As he flew back, the jounin reached into his pockets and hurled a pair of kunai into Zabuza, just an instant too late to catch the missing-nin before he switched with a clone.

But he wasn't worried.

"You were saying?" Zabuza could practically _hear_ the smug grin in his opponent's voice.

And, deeper in the mist, said nuke-nin was practically seething.

Just how the hell was he doing that? This technique had worked a dozen times on doujutsu users. What the hell made this bastard so special?

The entire premise of this form of the Kirigakure technique was to create a literal 'cloud' of the users chakra inside the mist. And since doujutsus like the Sharingan 'see' chakra, anyone with such a bloodline would be unable to distinguish between the user's chakra, and the chakra surrounding them. Though it would be possible for an advanced user to pick the user out of the mist of chakra, doing so would require them to focus on that function of their bloodline to the point that they would be unable to perceive how far away they were. And of course, those with normal eyes would be unable to see through the mist at all…

Wait… could he be…? Zabuza's eyes widened as he came to a remembered one very important detail.

Kakashi had only _one_ Sharingan. His other eye was completely normal. And he had already faced this technique once before…

Yes… that was it… Somehow, Kakashi had used a combination of the chakra-seeing abilities of his Sharingan, with his normal vision, to pick him out of the mist…

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he heard laughter echo through the mist.

"_Heh… Ha ha ha ha… You certainly live up to your reputation Kakashi. Using your normal eye in conjunction with your Sharingan to pick me out of the mist? I never would've thought that was possible."_

Kakashi resisted the temptation to give a sigh of disappointment. He had hoped that it would take Zabuza longer to figure that out.

"_But… just because you can see me, doesn't mean you can beat me. I still have one more ace up my sleeve. And this one… you haven't seen before…"_

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, watching Zabuza's chakra signature closely with his Sharingan eye, while keeping chakra concentrated to his normal eye to watch for any visual irregularity in the mist.

Then… his signature shifted. No… shifted wouldn't be the right word. He detected a brief burst of chakra coming from… his sword? That didn't make any sense. None of the reports he'd read on Zabuza said anything about his weapon having special abilities apart from increased sharpness.

Unless… Kakashi's grimaced as he remembered seeing something similar one time he spared with Gai.

Weight seals… And with the burst he had just seen…

The jounin's grimace deepened as Zabuza's chakra signature suddenly moved… a lot faster than before. Plus the input from his normal vision said one thing.

Zabuza was coming. And with the sword lighter… he'd be able to follow up even if he missed.

As he focused chakra to his feet, Kakashi's hand went to that scroll.

'_Well Dad… I could really use your help right now.'_

"Dodge this you damn monkey!" Zabuza roared as he shot right at Kakashi.

The jounin was quick to leap back out of the zanbatou's reach, but that didn't matter. With its weight seals released, the Kubikiri Honchou felt as light as a katana, which meant he could swing it far better.

And so, with hardly a second's grace, Zabuza was able to swing the sword back again at the jounin, who had only been able to draw a single scroll…

It didn't matter. With the sword's increased sharpness, combined with its enormous weight, no kunai could block it.

Zabuza's train of thought stopped as a something 'poof'ed out of the scroll… and a flash of white light danced across his vision…

Deep inside his steel and concrete fortress, Gato walked at a brisk pace towards the main courtyard.

"And this information is accurate?" asked the Iwa ninja walking with him, the one Nadare had left in command of his forces.

"Yes. My agents have confirmed this," the businessman replied, "almost all of the villages are rallying. Apparently Tazuna's grandson is behind it. Damn brat."

The taller man only chuckled. "I doubt that he's the one truly behind it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this is obviously Namikaze's doing. Perhaps he hasn't realized we're here and is rallying the villagers as a way to ensure victory over your mercenaries. Or he does know about us and this is some desperate bid to bolster his forces."

"So what do you propose?"

"Simple. We do the same thing. Divide up our forces and wipe them out. His clones may seem tough, but only when they grossly outnumber their opponent. We have a hundred and fifty. More than enough. And I'm sure your mercenaries can take care of some angry villagers?"

"My apologies, but the Commander is busy right now," the silver-haired boy spoke as he leveled his sword at the man before him. "You'll have to deal with me."

Katsu Nadare raised an eyebrow as he scrutinized the boy. How had they missed him? He was sure that it was him they had followed from the house…

Well, no matter. He'd take out this clone, then go find where the real Namikaze was.

That was when Fordo charged him, his sword held to make a diagonal cut.

Nadare might've laughed had he not had years of practicing his composure. Charging an opponent you knew was far stronger than you on your own? Granted, the clone's speed wasn't that bad, but still, how stupid were these clones?

Then it hit him. Alone. He had heard what happened to Zabuza Momochi. These clones might be weak on their own, but that was why they worked together. Of course. This guy wasn't alone.

The jounin made a quick glance around the trees in the clearing. There had to be others. This was all some kind of trap, and they were hoping that by concentrating on the clone charging him, they could sneak up on him.

Well, he hadn't gotten to where he was today by being stupid.

With speed indicative of a jounin, he side-stepped the clone's charge and buried a kunai into his gut. More than enough to dispel any clone.

He ignored the familiar sound of a body hitting the ground as he scanned the area. Where were they? Shouldn't an attack have come by now? A hail of kunai? A powerful jutsu? Where was it?

That was when the sword bit into his back.

Only years of instinct-hardening experience allowed him to jump away before the slice could do more damage than a simple flesh wound.

Spinning around as he landed, his yanked his katana from it's scabbard to face his assailant…

…only to find naught but his kunai laying on the grass.

Nadare grimaced. He _had_ underestimated them. He didn't think clones could be this sneaky. Maybe one of them had shunshined with that first one before he dispelled? These clones were a bit more resilient than he thought.

Glancing about in a quick but controlled manner, the jounin advanced to retrieve his knife. Wait. His hand paused as a thought came to him. If they could switch with a clone, why not switch with a kunai? Yeah… they had to be watching him. Waiting for him to pick up the kunai so one of them could kawariimi with it to launch a sneak attack.

'_Well, I'm not falling for the same trick twice.'_ he thought as he subtely readied his katana to stab at whatever that kunai would suddenly 'poof' into.

Closer…

Closer…

His fingers began to touch the knife…

Any second now…

…

Nothing.

The jounin carefully wrapped his fingers around the weapon, ready to strike at any moment.

Still nothing.

Nadare gave a quick sigh of relief, pocketing the kunai as he did. They must not be able to switch with it. He knew normal people couldn't perform kawarimi with something that small, but of course, these weren't 'people' he was dealing with. Now where were th-

That thought was cut off as his world suddenly exploded into pain.

He was flying sideways, slamming into the ground… He could vaguely feel his katana being torn from his grasp.

He… he was burning… It was like an exploding note had gone up right next to him. How had they planted one without him noticing?

He struggled to his feet, gripping his burned arm as he did so. Good. He still had feeling in it.

The nuke-nin quickly glanced around, all directions, looking for an attack.

He'd underestimated them. And now they'd gotten two good hits in.

He flexed his fingers experimentally. Full control. Perfect.

His hands came together, running through a quick succession of seals. Seals he knew well.

It was time these brats learned first-hand just why he was called 'Bloody Avalanche'.

Then, everything stopped.

Fordo dropped down from the tree he was perched in. Checking around for enemy reinforcements, he made his way over to the body lying prone on the ground.

For a moment, he stood over the body, examining it for any sign of movement, hand ready on his sheathed nodachi.

Then, in one quick motion he drew his sword and beheaded Nadare's corpse.

Picking up the head, noticing the face. It was still set in an eager grin. He likely had died before he even realized what had happened. Fordo gave the face a mere passing glance however. His attention was focused on the small wooden shaft emerging from the back of the skull. Gripping the shaft, he gave it a quick twist, freeing it from the head. The barb that it was attached to would stay inside. The spring-loaded umbrella barb was pretty much impossible to remove without breaking the skull open. Of course, loosing it was a small price to pay for liquefying an enemies brain before they even knew what happened.

Pocketing his bolt, Fordo placed a small patch over the hole. No need to let the brain matter leak out and make a mess. A small sting of pain brought his attention to the newly healed knife wound in his gut. That had taken a bit more chakra than he would have liked.

As he sealed up the severed head, he opened his com channel.

"_This is Fordo. Target Alpha confirmed killed. Reapers, report your status."_

His answers came in the form of a giant sword shooting up from the ground from the direction Rosso and Auel had run off, and a giant explosion from where Nero and Virgil should be.

"_Virgil here. Target Beta is down Reaper Lead. Damage minimal."_

"_Same here sir. Target Gamma is neutralized."_

"_Roger that. You get all that Command?"_

"_Affirmative. Good job Reapers. Head for the bridge, and await further orders."_

"_Reaper Team acknowledges."_

With a mental 'click' of affirmation from his squadmates, Frodo turned to speed off, when he noticed Nadare's sword laying on the ground, having been torn from his grasp when the exploding kunai went off. Hadn't they heard that he used some kind of chakra imbued weapon?

Curious, Fordo picked up the sword and channeled some chakra into it. He raised an eyebrow when the blade started vibrating at incredible speed giving off a low hum not unlike a power tool.

"Interesting…"

AN: At this point, I had already started work on Sasuke's 'death' and the ensuing carnage.

Naruto's eyes widened as he beheld Sasuke, his body riddled with senbon. He had… taken the hit for him…

As Sasuke fell backward, the blonde rushed to him, able to catch him, holding his head up.

"Come on, stay with me." Naruto spoke quickly, trying to give some kind of encouragement to the Uchiha, even if it didn't look good. The boy's neck was riddled with senbon, and Naruto could hear him making short, rapid breaths.

"S…So… th…then…" Naruto looked up to Sasuke's face, finding the boy's eyes open, if half-lidded, the pupils having returned to onyx. His lips were curled upwards in some attempt at a smug grin, even through his obvious pain. "I… guess this… makes us even then… huh?" he spoke in a quiet, raspy tone, like he was struggling to even speak.

Even given the situation, Naruto couldn't help but give a small grin. "Yeah. I guess it does."

Sasuke tried to chuckle, but only managed a cough, a cough that brought blood out of his mouth.

"Don't talk." Naruto spoke calmly, trying his best to salvage this situation. "Don't waste your strength." Maybe… maybe if he could beat her quickly enough… maybe if there was a good enough doctor in Wave…

Sasuke tried to chuckle again. "No… I'm done… and you know that…"

Naruto grimaced as he heard Sasuke's strained words. He was right. Putting his free hand on Sasuke's chest, Naruto tried to feel his pulse. It was weak… very weak. He wasn't going to make it.

"Why'd you do that?" the blonde looked back to Sasuke's face, a solemn look on his face. He honestly had no idea how to handle this situation. He had grieved before… but he had never been with someone at their dying breaths. And… this was someone who he wasn't even close to. Just someone he was beginning to befriend and someone whom he really couldn't have cared less about just a few weeks ago. And this person had just taken a lethal hit for him…

"Heh…" Sasuke struggled to find words, "I… I don't know… I guess… I just couldn't afford to watch you die… I guess…"

Even while watching him die, Naruto couldn't help but find the joke. "Geez. Don't tell me you really are gay…"

Sasuke did his best to send him an indignant scowl, but somehow found it funny too. He supposed that it all seemed so… meaningless now. "No… you idiot… You're just… that good of a leader I guess…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You really think that?"

"Well… that and… I'm pretty sure that… you've got a better… chance at beating her… then I would…"

Naruto shook his head. Sasuke praising his strength? Even saying that he was stronger than the Uchiha? "Sakura's going to beat the crap out of me for letting this happen you know?"

Sasuke was actually able to manage a chuckle this time. "Heh… good… I think you've… gone a bit… too long without… some kind of pummeling."

Naruto managed soft chuckle too. He really couldn't believe it. Sasuke dying in his arms, while the two of them joked like old friends. Was the world ending or something?

"Hey… Naruto…" Sasuke's voice was softer… more raspy. Naruto could feel his pulse fading. "Do… you think you could… do something for me?"

"What?" the blonde asked. A dying man's last wish… he couldn't help to think how cliché this all seemed. He supposed it was his own way of coping with watching someone die in front of him.

"You… know about… my brother… right? Itachi?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, able to guess where Sasuke was going with this.

"I… I'm not going to ask… for you to take up my mission… take up my vengeance…" the boy spoke, before his lips curled up slightly in an attempt at a knowing grin, "I know you wouldn't even if I asked…"

"Probably." Naruto replied, trying to force a grin.

"Well… I know I can't ask you… to take up my mission… But… if you ever see him… if he ever crosses your path…" Sasuke trailed off, his pulse almost completely gone, and his eyes beginning to grow dim.

"Don't worry." Naruto replied, "I'll do all that I can."

"Thank… you…" Sasuke's lips curled upwards, finally making a true smile, even as his eyes dimmed and his already weak body fell completely limp.

Naruto gave a long sigh as his face contorted into a grimace. He had hesitated, hesitated to use Kyuubi's power just so he could keep that power a secret. And now… Sasuke was dead because of it. The blonde carefully lowered the body to the ground, and respectfully closed Sasuke's eyes.

"Rest in peace… my friend."

"Was he someone precious to you?" Haku's voice pierced the silence as she got to her feet, leaning back into the mirror Sasuke had thrown her against. She had seen most of the exchange.

"Not really." Naruto replied, still on his knees, his head hung low and his eyes closed, his voice quiet. "I barely even knew him."

"But he was your friend right?" Haku asked.

"Yeah… I suppose he was."

"Then… do you hate me now?" Haku asked again. She knew… somehow she knew… that this was the first time Naruto had seen this… seen someone die right in front of him, and she also knew that when someone sees their friend, even if it's not a close one, die in front of them, revenge can be the first thing on their mind.

Naruto was quiet for a few seconds, as if pondering the question. Then, even as he unconsciously let Kyuubi's chakra flow into his system, he spoke.

"No… I don't…"

Haku was taken aback slightly. His voice… the way he had put it… he sounded… apathetic almost.

"Are you glad then?" but even as she spoke those words, she knew something was… off.

"No…" Naruto spoke again, his voice still quiet, but at the same time… piercing, "I don't really feel anything."

Haku's eyes widened slightly. His voice… it sounded… empty. Hollow. No anger… no sadness… no joy… no hatred…

"Nothing…" he repeated. Haku was now aware of… something… beginning to radiate from the blonde. A… strange chakra… a strange power. Nothing concrete. Just… glimpses… flickers. And his voice… it was so empty… Like he was some kind of ethereal spirit…

"Nothing… at all…"

Power erupted from Naruto, bathing him in pale silver light.

Haku's eyes widened. '_What… What is this?'_ It wasn't like that power she had seen him using against Zabuza. No… this was something else entirely… Something she had never even seen before. The silver light… no… silver _chakra_ enveloped Naruto, forming a swirling dome of power around him. But even as it did, the blonde didn't move. But… this chakra… it wasn't like anything she had felt before… it didn't even feel like chakra. It felt… empty… bereft of any sort of identity.

It was simply… power.

**NOTHING AT ALL**

Naruto was completely still as this power swirled around him, as if he wasn't even aware of it. His features were changing much like when he normally channeled Kyuubi's power, though the changes were far less drastic.

Then… ever so slowly… the blonde stood, raised his head, and looked directly at her.

Haku gasped at what she saw.

His eyes were no longer the ocean blue she had seen, nor the bloody crimson of his demon form. They were a dull grey, filled with concentric circles.

These new eyes however quickly faded to a gleaming silver, radiating this strange… hollow power.

'_Wha… What is he…?'_ Haku stammered even in her head. She had seen many eyes in her life. Eyes filled with joy, anger, sadness, rage, even love. When she had first met Naruto, she had seen that his eyes were special. But nothing like this. It felt like… she was staring into the eyes of a _god_. They seemed empty, bereft of any emotion… and yet they seemed to consume all before them. They simply… were.

'_Naruto… just what are you?'_

All across Wave Country, they felt it. Even all the way back in Konoha. Every one of the clones froze, even for just an instant… as the waves of power flowed across the mental links. They could all feel it. This… power. And every one of them knew where it was coming from.

Forge glanced to where he knew the bridge, and his commander, was, his thoughts and actions mirrored by all his comrades.

'_Naruto…'_

"Wha… What is this?" Both of Kakashi's eyes were wide with shock. Even if he couldn't see what was happening, he could most certainly _feel_ it. For an instant, he had felt the Kyuubi's oppressive, malignant chakra settle over them, but just as quickly as it had come, it had been washed away.

By _this_.

It had settled around them, subtle and calm. Nothing at all like Kyuubi's chakra. But more than that, was the nature of whatever _this_ was.

Nothing. It wasn't the presence he felt… it was the _absence_ he felt. The absence of… anything. All his battle-hardened instincts were screaming at him that there was _something_ emanating from Naruto's general direction. That _something_ had blown away the brief flash of youki he had felt.

And yet he couldn't feel anything.

Just what the hell was going on here?

At the center of all of this, Naruto let out a low breath. He felt… calm. At peace. But not a peace he had felt before. It was as if all the chaos of the world had slipped away… Not simply the sound or thought of battle… but uncertainty as well. He… knew. He understood. He could comprehend. Finally, his awareness focused on the girl. Yes… he recalled now. She was a threat. The threat she posed had to be neutralized.

_Weapon… yes he had dropped his weapons. He reached out, feeling their presence. And exerted his will upon them. He pulled them back towards himself, his body's hands opening to grasp them._

Haku was finally snapped out of her awe-induced state as she saw Naruto's swords suddenly start to move. Then, they flew towards him, his hands reaching out to grab them.

Quickly, she jumped back into the mirror behind her. Blinking between the icy constructs, she observed him from all angles. He was just standing there. Standing with his swords in hand, facing forward. It was as if he was oblivious to her.

Haku grit her teeth. What had happened back there? Had he used some kind of genjutsu on her? What kind of technique was he using? And even more so, was she still able to beat him? She bit her lip as she weighed her options, before coming to a conclusion. He was still an obstacle… and possibly a threat. She needed to take him down. Drawing her senbon, she renewed her assault.

_He felt them coming, even as the girl threw them. They were fast… and unfamiliar. Too unfamiliar for him to enact his will upon them. But he knew where they were, and exactly how his body needed to be moved in order to evade them. So he did. He weaved his body around the first barrage, then a second. The third one he needed to use his weapons to block some. She was throwing more and more. Eventually, they would become too intense for him to evade without his body suffering damage. But… he was learning. Not much longer…_

Haku almost scowled in frustration as she let off a forth barrage of needles, only for the blonde to effortlessly dodge or deflect all of them. Not even the Uchiha with his Sharingan activated had been this effective! What had happened? He wasn't even looking at most of them. Was it some kind of bloodline?

Behind her mask, Haku's face settled into a determined glare. Then she would just have to throw down a rain of needles that he couldn't dodge. It would take most of her remaining chakra… and all of her remaining senbon… but she could do it. The only problem was… he probably wouldn't survive it.

No. She shook her head. She had to bury those thoughts. She had to _win_. For Zabuza. And with that thought, she readied her needles, and started jumping from mirror to mirror at the fastest speed she could. 360 degrees of needles. No one could dodge that.

_He felt them coming. All around. Behind, in front, left, right and above. All directions. Too thick to dodge. His body would most likely suffer critical damage. But that would not happen. His learning of them was complete. He knew now. He knew them. And now, he could enact his will upon them. _

Haku gaped. In shock and in fear. All of the senbon. All 321 of them… _stopped_. In a perfect dome around Naruto. He hadn't even moved. They all just stopped. Like they had been embedded in some invisible barrier…

_This was good. His body would not suffer damage. But he needed to end this. The threat had to be neutralized. Her constructs, as well as the cloud around them. But that would not be a problem. His Light had expanded far enough in this time. He knew the energy around them. He knew the matter around them. And all that he knew… he could __**will**__. _

_And will he did._

Haku saw Naruto's lips move, and a voice echoed around her.

**MY TURN**

It was only years of instinct that allowed her to leap from the mirror in time.

The perfect dome of needles suddenly shot outwards, even faster than they had flown in. And when they hit the mirrors, they didn't bounce off, but shot straight through. And the mirrors themselves seemed to warp around the needles passing through them, flowing like water, before they disintegrated.

It surged off of Naruto like a wave. Expanding at incredible speed.

Evan as she hit the ground, Haku felt it wash over her. And as she looked around, she saw the mist… disappear. And it wasn't simply blown away. It was as if chakra itself had been dispelled. As if the jutsu itself had been unmade.

And then… he was standing over her, sword hovering over her throat. She hadn't even seen him approach… had she been that enthralled by what she had just witnessed… or was this another power of his? She realized that her mask was gone, torn off in her escape from the mirrors.

**ARE YOU FINISHED**

Haku looked at the sword, and resigned herself.

"Yes. I'm done. Just… don't kill Zabuza too." She knew that Zabuza wouldn't stand a chance against this boy. She just knew.

**YOU BELIEVE WE WISH YOUR DEATH**

"I killed your friend didn't I?"

**VENGENCE MEANS NOTHING TO US **

**YOU ARE NO LONGER A THREAT**

**YOUR LIGHT WILL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED SO LONG AS YOU REMAIN THAT**

Haku looked up at Naruto. That voice… those… abilities… Was he even human?

"What about Zabuza?"

**HE TOO IS NO LONGER A THREAT**

He seemed to pause. As if contemplating something.

**HE WILL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED**

And with that, he vanished. It was only then that Haku heard the chirping of many birds, and looked in horror to find Kakashi charging Zabuza, his hand charged with lightning.

**ENOUGH**

Kakashi's eyeballs practically bulged as Naruto not only _appeared_ next to him, but had his arm in an iron grip. And then he felt it. The empty, hollow, and yet all-consuming presence that emanated from him.

**HE IS NO LONGER A THREAT**

And just like that, the lightning chakra that enveloped his arm, mere inches from skewering Zabuza, simply evaporated, while the nin-dogs poofed away.

"Na…Naruto?" he practically stammered as Naruto released his arm, at what he was not only seeing, but feeling as well. How had he done that? There was no chakra fluxuations, no seals, nothing. The Raikiri was just… gone. It was nothing like anything he had even _heard_ of, let alone seen.

Zabuza himself was similarly flabbergasted by this… kid? What kind of ability was this?

**WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS**

**ANOTHER PARTY HAS ENTERED THE FREY**

Despite his utter shock of what was happening to his student, Kakashi was still able to keep his priorities straight. Both he and Zabuza looked to where Naruto was obviously focused on.

"Heh heh heh…" A voice suddenly sounded behind the combatants, a voice dripping with malice and cruelty. "He made a fine mess of you, didn't he?"

Gato chuckled darkly as he stepped into view, and behind him stood some hundred samurais, thugs, and other lowlifes, all regarding the ninjas as though they were already dead. "There has been a change of plan, I am afraid." The multi-billionaire laughed jovially, his eyes however, remained mirthless behind the glasses. "Or to be more precise, your plan."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed in barely contained fury as he spat out the words from between gritted teeth. "So you planned this all along then, Gato?"

Gato snickered at the accusation, his hands resting on the expensive walking stick. "But of course, demon, I am a business man, after all. You nukenins are all the same, brainless fools who are so eager to tear each other apart… and by the time you're done; common thugs like the ones behind me can just finish off the rest. Efficient and a hell lot more inexpensive than actually going through with my end of the bargain."

"Bastard." Zabuza growled, though at his current condition, it is doubtful that he could do much to Gato. "Kakashi-san, it would appear that our fight is over. There is no more need for me to assassinate that bridge builder over there."

Kakashi could only nod. "Yeah."

"What more can you do, even if the two of you team up against me?" Gato sneered at the scene with obvious contempt in his eyes. "Both of you have worn each other out so that even commoner bandits could take your life."

"Don't count on it." A voice called out, as several needle buried themselves in the ground before the criminal bosses, causing him to stumble backward in fright and surprise. "But you seem to forget about me… Gato."

"H…Haku!" Zabuza, for the first time in his entire life, looked thunderstruck. He had thought for sure, when Haku did not come for him, that some tragic fate has befallen the girl… yet here she stood, without so much as a scratch on her… At this, he shot Naruto a curious glance.

"You!" Gato yelled, backing away from the senbon in fright, before trying to regain his composure. "Fine! You want to die with you master you little bitch? My boys will be happy to oblige." The mercenaries around him looked even more eager.

Haku just grinned. "Bring it midget." In truth, she was almost out of chakra. Hopefully she could take down enough of these guys for Zabuza to deal with the rest and-

**THAT WILL NOT BE NECCESARY**

Haku started as she just noticed Naruto walking out in front of all three of them. She glanced over to where he had been restraining Kakashi. How was he moving like that?

**WE SHALL HANDLE THIS**

And as he finished, he drew his swords.

"You?" Gato started, a cruel smile growing on his face, "You think you can take on all my men you little brat? Fine. I think-"

It was the dark laughter upon the air that cut off his words. Kakashi thought the laugh sounded like Naruto… but then why weren't the boy's lips moving? They were still, curling up into an amused grin.

**YES WE ARE A CHILD**

**A CHILD IN A NEW WORLD THAT HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND**

**BUT AT LEAST WE ARE ABOVE THE DUST**

"Wha-" Gato tried to speak. Trying to understand what he was experiencing.

**FROM DUST YOU HAVE RISEN**

He began to take a step forward.

**AND IT IS TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN**

And two mercenaries in the front of the mob suddenly found themselves without heads, the blonde standing between them. The other mercenaries and samurai only just realizing it, staring in shock and incomprehension.

Or at least they would have, had Naruto not already started cutting into them.

A ronin next to him was the first to recover, lashing out with his sword, letting out a battle cry that was filled with more fear than rage.

But the blonde backed out of the way, bringing one of his swords up and across the man's jugular with nary a glance in his direction.

Another came from behind, only for the boy to duck under the strike, and sending one of his across an artery.

More attacked, but Naruto simply started moving faster.

"What the hell is he doing?" Zabuza spoke, trying to make out what was going on inside the mob.

"I'm not quite sure, but…" Kakashi spoke, his Sharingan focused on his student.

"But what?" Haku asked, a worried look on her face.

"He's winning. That's for sure."

And to be honest, that was an understatement. Naruto was _slaughtering_ the mercenaries and samurai. Even with twenty or more people attacking at any time, no one had even come close to hitting him. He would simply dance and weave around the attacks, retaliating at the same time.

But what was even more incredible was what his Sharingan was showing him. Naruto wasn't just reacting to the attacks, he almost seemed to be predicting them as well. Even attacks that were coming from behind him. Kakashi had long since learned how to tell when someone saw an attack coming. The minute changes in movement to accommodate for it, no matter how skilled a fighter they were. But the thing was… he hadn't seen _any _of these in Naruto now. It was as if he were somehow monitoring every single enemy around him simultaneously, waiting for them to make their attack.

But that was impossible. No one had that kind of mental aptitude. Even a Hyuuga had their limits as to how many targets they could keep track of at once. It was a basic limitation of the human brain.

A limitation that Naruto seemed to have overcome.

Special Authors Note:

Still here? Didn't bolt after that sorry excuse for a chapter? Great! Have a cookie! Anyway, on to business.

A wise man once said: 'Finding good fanfiction is like finding penny's in a sewer. It's there, you just have to go through a whole lot of crap to get to it.' But every once in a while, you find not a penny, but a piece of gold. Yes, there are some really unique, interesting and sometimes just plain AWESOME fanfics out there. But the sad thing is that of those I have found, despite how good they are, I don't think they are as well known as they should be. And thus, since so many people seem to read my work and no doubt scrambled over here once they got that email alert, I figure I might as well give my recommendations for some of these stories that deserve your attention. I will be putting these brief endorsements up in Authors Notes in future updates. So with that said, here is the first one:

'Enemy of My Enemy' by Katsuhiro

Series: Halo

Status: Complete

Summery: (Taken from TvTropes page) "It is late November 2552, and the Covenant Civil War is in full swing. But the people of the desert world Crassus don't know that. An out-of-the-way, strategically-unimportant UNSC colony, the human settlers eke out a living, mostly clustered around the planet's only real city, Horizon. Consisting of a few million civilians and a few thousand marines, they try to eke out a living in the harsh climate, living in relative peace. But all that changes...

The Sangheili/Elite battlecruiser _Pride of Sanghelios_ is shot down over Crassus by the Jiralhanae/Brute assault carrier _Implacable Duty_. The Elite ship crashes on Crassus, and with Horizon having no functional ships the human & Elite factions are stranded with no way to call for help, while the Assault Carrier, led by High-Chieftain Torikus, settles in to start an attempt to wipe them off the map. The Elite forces, led by Shipmaster Vtan Arume, must forge an at-first uneasy alliance (well, uneasy on the humans' side; the Elites have no problem with it) with the humans of Crassus, and the two forces must work together to save their city and themselves from utter annihilation."

Why You Should Read It: Okay, right up front, this is one of THE BEST fanfics I have ever read, as well as one of the two best Halo fanfics I've found. Part of what makes this story great is the simplicity of it. There are no surprise Flood attacks, no ancient Forerunner temples or superweapons or any other left field curveballs. It's just humans and elites teaming up to fight off a Brute invasion. Certainly one of the story's greatest strengths is it's characters. They're all original characters (no canon characters at all) and they are all written beautifully. From the (initially) feckless Navy pilot to the cheery ODST Commander (no Spartans here either!) to the Sanghelli Captain to his trusted SpecOps commander (who may be the most badass Elite in all of Halo fiction. Seriously), everyone feels fleshed out and developed. Even characters that are introduced only to die a few paragraphs later get focus, which only adds to the gravity of the situation when people on both sides are getting torn to shreds. This is not a pretty story as the author effectively portrays the battlefield in all its gritty, dirty, bloody glory, much like the Halo novels. Suspense and tension are utilized brilliantly, with Hope Spot after Hope Spot appearing and fading for both sides. Battles are well written and intense with later chapters featuring some serious 'Holy SHIT!' moments of awesome. I really can't do it enough justice here. If you are a fan of the Halo novels, then this is a MUST read. If you aren't… check it out anyway. It's great stuff.


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